THE BEGINNING OF THE END
by loulou21
Summary: Seshomaru has Kagome. Inuyasha thinks she is dead. Will he give up and accept her loss or will he find her before Seshomaru makes Kagome his? I do not own Inuyasha! ,
1. Chapter 1

**THE BEGINNING OF THE END**

Kagome awoke lying on the cold, hard floor. While trying to come to her senses, she noticed that her eyelids were heavy and she had to force them into exposing her almond eyes. While bracing herself with her hands, she slowly pushed her body into an upright position.

"Ugh," a small grunt manages to slip from her mouth.

Kagome's chest feels like it wants to explode and it's continuously sending sharp pains through her body when she attempts to breath. Catching her breath seems rather difficult and almost impossible without intense concentration. Looking down, she notices blood soaking through her new white button down.

_Great! I just bought this shirt the last time I went home and now it's permanently stained for sure! I must look like a train wreck. Not that that really matters at this point._

Nothing really matters right now.

_Why didn't I just die? Why do I have to deal with the fact that Inuyasha just tried to kill me? Life sucks and then you die right!? NOT ME! I lived! What shit!_

At the very thought of Inuyasha being in his full demon form and the cause of her wounds, caused Kagome's heart to throb and her eyes to sting. She couldn't decide whether to cry or vomit. After Naraku exposed Inuyasha to the tainted Shikon jewel he transformed into a full fledged demon. It was Inuyasha's eyes that bothered her the most though; the whites were replaced with pools of blood and his concern turned into hatred.

The pain from her crushed heart was worse than the bleeding gashes across her stomach and her bruised ribs combined. All she knew was that she had to get to the jewel and purify it before Naraku could do any more damage. Naraku can not be allowed to live.

"Bastard!"

Kagome whispers through cracked lips hoping that Naraku would hear her inner desires to murder him with the use of one word. And there really isn't a better word to describe Naraku.

As her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, Kagome tried to guess what part of Naraku's body she was in. Naraku had pulled her and all of her friends into his body to try and absorb them to make him stronger.

_Damn! If only I had paid attention in Anatomy class. But no, I was too busy trying to save the world in the feudal era. I could be anywhere in Naraku's body at this point._

Rolling on to her knees, Kagome attempted to push herself to her feet despite the pain shooting through every muscle and nerve in her body. Her attempt ended with a loud thud right back to the ground.

_Well that's just great! I'm alive and I can't walk! Of course it's me who gets the shity fairy tale._

"I was wondering if you were going to wake up Miko or just lye there and die."

Kagome was so involved with her own thoughts in that second that she didn't even notice that someone was approaching.

"Seshomaru, do you always sneak up on defenseless women?"

"You are bleeding Miko."

Seshomaru decided to ignore her question and go on with his own thoughts. It isn't that surprising really; he never seems to care about anything except what is on his mind and what he wants at that particular moment.

Kagome studied his features while he was starring at her wounds, probably deciding if he was going to help her or just leave her there. His face was expressionless as usual, showing little signs of emotion. If he didn't move around so much he could be mistaken for a statue, always wearing the exact same look that was seen the last time. Seshomaru's eyes were beautiful amber, just like Inuyasha's, only less kind and they could cut through a person like knives. It sent shivers up her spine to even imagine when he turned those eyes towards her with the intent to kill. Thank everything that is good that they are on the semi-same team. If that's what it is called. The only thing that makes him look more like an angel rather than a demon is his long beautiful hair. How a demon could even have hair that looks like that boggles her mind. It would be so nice just to run her fingers through it once before she dies, just to say she felt the prettiest hair in existence.

Glaring in his general direction and irritated that he was even near her, Kagome sat back a little on her knees to get as far away from him as her wounds would allow.

"Yes, I do believe I noticed I was bleeding! But thank you for making it known out loud Seshomaru."

It hurt when she spoke, so the attitude that she wanted to convey in that statement sounded more like a gasp for help rather than an "I seriously hate you right now," comment.

_Here I am again, the classic damsel in distress and my rescuer is a stone cold demon who has tried to kill me in the past. Not to mention, he makes comments that are painfully obvious…literally. _

"Get up. You will help me find the Shikon jewel so I can kill Naraku. It is time for this to finally end." Seshomaru's voice displayed cold certainty and authority only a demon lord could posses. This, to Kagome, meant that he was definitely full of himself.

"What does it look like I'm trying to do? As you so blatantly pointed out, I'm injured. I would love to kill Naraku, believe me, but Inuyasha is a full demon now, so Naraku is not our only problem."

Kagome's heart clenched as the memory of the attack came back to her mind. Her eyes began to sting again; she had almost forgotten to cry when Seshomaru interrupted her pity party. But now could not stop the tears of anger and grief from rolling down her cheeks.

Without a single word, Seshomaru carefully lifted Kagome from the ground and gently cradled her against his chest taking care not to brush against her still bleeding wounds. Kagome didn't even get a chance to protest, she would have if he didn't have the look of resolve in his eyes. Her job was to find the Shikon jewel for him, he would not take no for an answer.

"You want to save Rin, don't you?"

Kagome was answered with an expressionless stare. Naraku had taken Rin as a hostage; Seshomaru would stop at nothing to save the only human he ever had feelings for.

"Where do you sense the Shikon jewel Miko?"

Kagome pointed in the direction that she felt the slight hum of the jewel and hoped that it wasn't one of Naraku's tricks. Seshomaru's grip tightened around Kagome to hold her body in place against his chest and he bounded off into the direction she pointed without another thought.

Inuyasha's sight went from red to hazy grey. His head pounded as though it was in rhythm with his heart. He began to reach towards his temples in hopes of easing his throbbing head when the smell of blood made his nose twitch. It is not just any blood, but Kagome's blood; which was smeared across his hands and claws! Eyes opening wide, and alarm bells ringing in his head Inuyasha remembered everything that had taken place! As he was hit with waves of despair and nausea his knees buckled and he hit the ground.

_What have I done!? I have killed the woman I love, and I never even had the chance to tell her! Damn it! Kagome…_

Inuyasha's heart was ripping from his chest and his eyes began to sting and water.

"Déjà vu is it? Inuyasha!" Naraku hissed from the darkness.

Startled from his revere, Inuyasha had almost forgotten he was inside Naraku's body until he heard Naraku's malicious voice. There were organs and pieces of demons strewn in every direction. Naraku's face was nearly transparent as it hovered, smirking, in direct view of Inuyasha. Naraku's hair was a dull black and this illusion of him decided to let it appear quite long in length. His eyes were blacker than night, they could almost absorb the very light from the sun and leave the world in eternal darkness.

"I moved you into a part of my body where you would not be affected by the tainted jewel. Now that you have come to your senses, you appear to have realized what you have done. Ironic is it not?"

Naraku paused long enough to give Inuyasha the chance to respond. The half-demon only starred at the ground shaking with rage. His eyes were no longer orbs of red, but brilliant amber that glinted with deadly intent.

"I thought you would enjoy killing Kagome the same way you murdered Kikyo. I wanted to see your reaction because I know you love Kagome more than you do Kikyo. This was an opportunity a little too good to let slip. You did exactly what I wanted you to! Don't you agree Inuyasha?"

Naraku's smirk seemed to turn into a self-satisfied smile the instant he finished his latest jibe. He was clearly amused by the torment that Inuyasha was battling.

_I will kill Naraku even if I kill myself in the process! I promised Kagome I would protect her and instead I was the object that brought her death! I will meet her in the afterlife when this is over. Kagome, damn it! Kagome._

As Naraku's comments sank into Inuyasha's heart with iron claws, his tears became more frequent and they made little wet spots down the front of his red fire rat jacket. His heart had never felt like this before, all Inuyasha wanted to do was rewind time. His heart was bleeding and he had to shake off the nausea that was trying to overwhelm his senses.

Turning away from Naraku's illusion, Inuyasha's arm tensed as he raised Tetsaiga above his head, proving that despite his hearts efforts to give up, his mind would not let him give in. With sword in hand, he ripped through organs, tissue, and anything that happened to be in his way. Inuyasha was determined to cut Naraku into pieces faster than the demon could reassemble his body parts.

_I will create a barrier with Tetsaiga and find the Shikon jewel. I will create a void into the underworld and pull the jewel, Naraku, and myself into death! _

Inuyasha sprinted forward with grim determination to kill Naraku, there is nothing left to live for, Kagome is dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kagome was not what you would consider uncomfortable against Seshomaru; but it was definitely awkward. He didn't treat her roughly but rather with indifference. Kagome was now just an object, and this object was ordered to find the completed Shikon jewel. Her priestess powers were not as strong as they normally would be because Naraku had somehow cut the link she had with her priestess abilities when he swallowed them.

It was surprising how vast the inside of his body was becoming. It seemed like they could walk endlessly in any direction and they would only be confronted with darkness. When Naraku consumed the completed Shikon jewel, his body grew to an incredible size and smaller demons from the surrounding areas were sucked into his body by the power of the Shikon jewel. He was able to reconfigure his insides in any way that he wanted, making Kagome and her friends trapped like mice in a maze. Each time Kagome thought she and Seshomaru had made a little headway, the Shikon jewel would disappear from her senses and they would have to switch directions.

"Miko, your wounds are getting worse, I can smell sickness. We need to stop and bandage your midsection or you will not make it much further." Startled by Seshomaru's strong voice interrupting the silence, Kagome jumped a little in his arms causing a sharp pain across her sensitive stomach.

"Come to think about it, I don't really feel like myself. If you set me down I will see if I can find something to bandage my middle. I wish I wouldn't have lost my med kit!"

Seshomaru gently set her down on the ground helping her into a sitting position. Kagome didn't have a clue what she could use to bandage her extensive wounds, but she did need them to stop bleeding before she lost too much blood.

_The last thing I need to do right now is die. I need to at least find a way to save Inuyasha and the others. Dying can wait until I'm done. I never really thought it would end like this. I don't really want to die, but I guess this is how the story goes. Hero's don't seem to ever get to chose their path, they just have to blindly follow it because that's what they are supposed to do right? Hero's have to give up their personal desires for the good of others. How depressing. I have never even had sex. _

The very thought of her not wanting to die a virgin caused Kagome to blush and stare at the ground in hopes that Seshomaru could not read her thoughts. Who knows what he was capable of; he always seemed to know how a person was feeling.

It almost seem like he was in unison with her thoughts as Seshomaru bent down to head level with Kagome. His stare penetrated through her soul; how was he able to do that? Kagome jerked as he touched the hem of her green school skirt with his claw. He had two arms, but only one hand. He had lost the lower part of his arm while battling Inuyasha for the Tetsaiga. His arm was sliced off somewhere near his shoulder, but it appeared to have grown back enough to be able to cradle Kagome. It was amazing how demons could regenerate body parts.

"Be still," he whispered while pushing a little of his weight against her leg to show her that he was serious.

Kagome obeyed while Seshomaru sliced a piece of cloth from the hem of her already short skirt. The piece was long and thick enough to wrap around her small waist and cover the wounds. Hopefully this would help her stop bleeding.

Seshomaru lightly pulled her shirt up enough to examine how bad her wounds had become. Embarrassed that Seshomaru was so close that she could feel his breath against her skin, Kagome caught her own breath and hoped that he would finish quickly. She should never be anywhere near Seshomaru's lips! She almost felt like she was betraying Inuyasha even by being alone with Seshomaru. Too bad right now all Inuyasha wanted to do was kill her, so it really wouldn't matter if he walked up on this situation anyway. And it wasn't like Seshomaru was being seductive; he just didn't want to lose his chance to save Rin by letting his Miko die before he found the jewel.

After bandaging her wounds, Seshomaru helped her to her feet. His attention was immediately drawn to the length of her skirt. Kagome's skirt was ripped to where anybody could see her pink panties from the front view. It was like having on a loin cloth that only covered her backside while inviting people to see her goods with a direct view of her crotch. If Kagome didn't already feel low, this definitely didn't help her mood. How is she going to explain this if she makes it out alive? Inuyasha your brother molested me?

Kagome didn't even have the heart left to get mad that she was exposing herself to the world. She didn't even feel the need to protest when Seshomaru swooped her up and into his arms once again.

_That's just great, if I die, I'm going to be remembered as the priestess with bright pink underwear! _

"You know Seshomaru; you sure do know how to make an already awkward situation almost unbearable."

"I don't see how that matters. We are after the same thing, are you going to let a skirt keep you from finding the Shikon no tama?" Seshomaru's lip twitched into a half smile as he glanced in the direction of her pink panties.

"No! But you could have taken cloth from anything but my skirt and it would have been less embarrassing. You're such a jerk!" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air indignantly.

"Fine. Would you like me to leave you here to bleed to death? You are not completely saved yet. You will die if you do not get out of Naraku's body. The miasma in his body is causing your wounds to become infected. You will die a slow and agonizing death. Does that sound more appealing than having to show you're under garments for a brief period of time?"

_How the hell did he just take something incredibly embarrassing for me and make me feel like an idiot for being irritated about it! I'm dying and my panties are flashing Seshomaru and he acts like I should be happy he bandaged my wounds! Demon lords! Who does he think he is!? I hope he enjoys the view because if we get out of here and I live, I will kick his ass all over the Feudal Era!_

Seshomaru waited to see if he would get a response, but Kagome only stuck her nose higher in the air and refused to look him in the eye. He had temporarily won this small battle. Kagome did not want to die, so as humiliating as this was, she would not choose to be dead.

"Seshomaru, we are not getting anywhere by going the direction I sense the jewel in. We have basically been walking in circles. Naraku must be doing this to keep us busy. I hate to say that I really don't know where to go." Kagome had to suck in her pride to talk with him civilly.

"I have been noticing this as well Miko. Every time we pass over a certain area I can feel a vibration in the floor. I just wanted to make sure it was actually there before I sliced through Naraku towards the anomaly in this body cavity because I do not want to release excessive amounts of his miasma. The more poison you inhale, the more likely you will not survive."

"What could the vibration be from?" Kagome asked.

"I believe that it is a place where Naraku has put an excessive amount of energy into protecting something important. The massive amounts of power directed in that one area are causing the vibrations that I feel when we walk near it. If I cut through the tissue a little away from the ball of power, we should be able to drop in the same cavity as the disturbance."

Kagome nodded and tightened her grip on his white silk kimono. They had no other options. She would still be alone and dying if it wasn't for Seshomaru. Kagome hoped that they would find Rin safe. Rin was a very unique little girl; the only human to make an imprint on Seshomaru's heart was bound to be priceless.

Seshomaru walked in the direction where he would slice through tissue. Bending down in a manner that would not hurt Kagome, he ripped through a soft area carefully making sure not to release miasma, if there even was any in this portion of Naraku's body. To both of their surprise the rip gaped open and swallowed them both as they went sprawling head first through what appeared to be a cavern. If Kagome's wounds were feeling any better, this made them painfully worse. Seshomaru still had a firm grip on her body, but he could not control when they would hit against bones and organs on the way down.

Landing with a hard thump on the ground, Seshomaru was sprawled across Kagome, his midsection between her legs. The pain that was ripping through her chest and stomach kept her from becoming embarrassed; instead she had to keep herself from crying out in agony. Seshomaru pushed himself a little back; so he could lift her shirt to see if her wounds were worse from the fall. Satisfied that she would be able to recover from the fall, he stood up and inspected the surroundings.

Kagome didn't take her eyes off of Seshomaru as she sat on the floor unable to move on her own. Seshomaru's eyes widened in surprise and his emotionless lips turned into a scowl. The surprise didn't last long before his eyes displayed the glint of rage. Kagome looked in the direction he was starring and she gasped at the sight.

Rin was floating in the middle of a barrier cradling the Shikon jewel. Her eyes were lifeless and her body hung limp except for her hair that seemed to flow around her in the background. Her flower kimono was dull and her face lacked any type of emotion; almost as if she had decided to take after Seshomaru. The image was surreal. Naraku must have put her into some kind of trance, and Seshomaru was not happy about it.

Kagome had never seen Seshomaru react the way he had when he saw Rin. If he has a heart, it must be breaking at the sight of his beloved human being toyed with by the likes of Naraku.

"Take me to her Seshomaru." Kagome could not let Seshomaru lose Rin. She still had so much life left.

Seshomaru did not acknowledge her speaking to him. He was in his own world, fighting rage and despair. She had already been brought back to life once by his sword and once by his mother; if she died again, he would not be able to have her back. He would have to wait for her to be reborn and even then she would not be the same Rin.

Dragging her body towards the floating Rin, Kagome thought if she could just touch the barrier she could break it. Stretching out as far as her arms would reach, her fingertips caressed the seal and with a loud crack and a burst of light, she was thrown back into darkness.

* * *

Inuyasha dug his claws and sword through every fiber of Naraku that came in contact with him. Naraku's voice echoed through his thoughts, which only intensified Inuyasha's rage. Naraku continued to throw clones at him without remorse and Inuyasha cut them down as quickly as they came into being. At least this kept his thoughts from wondering to Kagome, almost.

_I'm getting nowhere! Shit! _

Suddenly Kagome's face shot into his mind and it caused him to falter and stop dead in his tracks. He could make out the slight curve of her chin and her glowing skin was smooth and touchable. Her almond eyes smiled at him, while her hair caressed her cheeks. Her lips moved as if she was trying to tell him something, but Inuyasha couldn't make out the words. He wanted so desperately to understand what she was saying. But as quickly as her face appeared, it seemed to slip again from his mind. Reaching out, all he wanted was to feel her skin one more time and tell her he loved her. He had so many opportunities in the past to tell her, but being a stubborn mule he was scared of rejection. Inuyasha was terrified that their story would end, because he didn't want her to go back to her own time period and leave him in the past. Now she would never get the chance to see her family again.

_I have been so selfish. She deserved better than me. Kouga, that stupid wolf probably would have taken better care of her than I did. He certainly would not have killed her. Idiot! What am I thinking! I would never let him touch her! _

Naraku's body began to wobble and rearrange itself around Inuyasha. While bracing himself with Tetsaiga, Inuyasha gripped the handle so tightly that he had its imprint on his hand to keep himself from sprawling forward. Naraku was reforming his body in what seemed like a state of panic.

_What's going on?! Something must have caused Naraku to protect himself. But what could have happened? I have sliced and diced through important nerves and organs and he never had a reaction like this. _

Naraku's body reconfigured before Inuyasha's eyes.As Inuyasha starred at his new surroundings, there was a slight glow that came from a cocoon. After getting his balance back, his gaze focused on the round ball in front of him. It appeared to be holding things that were human inside. Slicing from top to bottom, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara tumbled to the ground.

**I hope ****yall**** enjoyed chapter 2! I promise chapter 3 will have more ****Inuyasha**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Miroku, Sango, would you wake up already!" Inuyasha was becoming impatient as usual. He had been sitting with them for quite some time now trying to shake them into consciousness. Shippo and Kirara were already awake, probably because they were demons and could overcome the miasma poisoning faster than humans could.

Miroku's wind tunnel was getting worse. Inuyasha could hear it sucking in wind even though it was covered. If Naraku wasn't killed soon, Miroku's wind tunnel would expand and consume everything in its path, including Miroku.

"Kirara, do you think you can carry Sango and Miroku together? We have to get moving, if we stay in one place too long Naraku will try to absorb us."

Without much effort Kirara transformed into her full size and allowed Inuyasha to drape Miroku and Sango across her back.

"Inuyasha, where is Kagome? She was with you when we got separated." Shippo was clearly worried.

Inuyasha's heart ripped from his chest all over again from Shippo's question. What was he supposed to say? Shippo, I killed Kagome. That wouldn't go over very well.

Inuyasha inspected his hands while trying not to cry or look at Shippo. He had whipped most of her blood off, but the smell still made his nose twitch. There was nothing he could do about it now. He didn't even know where her body was; Naraku probably already absorbed her. Inuyasha's heart sank at the thought of his Kagome being apart of such a Bastard.

Could Inuyasha even call Kagome his? He had caused her so much trouble during the time they had spent together. She had almost died a couple of times and he had caused her heartache when it came to Kikyo. In all honesty, he knew he didn't deserve her love. What had he ever done for her besides treat her like a doormat and never let her see her family? Kagome had stuck with him until the end, just like she said she would. But Inuyasha didn't picture the end like this, or he would have never made her stay with him.

"Inuyasha! Where is Kagome!?" Shippo yelled wondering why Inuyasha was looking at his hands.

"I don't know Shippo." Inuyasha didn't have the heart to tell Shippo that she was dead.

He was going to be selfish and let the kitsune figure it out on his own. Inuyasha knew he was going to kill himself in the process of killing Naraku, so why make it worse, when he was going to pay the ultimate price with his life anyway.

"We have to find her! Take me with you Inuyasha! I can't believe you lost her!" Bouncing from Kirara to Inuyasha, Shippo knocked Inuyasha on the head.

"No, I will make a way for you guys to get out of here and you will go. I will find Kagome." Inuyasha didn't have the heart to fight back with Shippo. He would let him get away with the knock to his head, it was the least he could do.

Grabbing Shippo by the tail Inuyasha slung him back onto Kirara. Miroku and Sango were still out cold, so there would be no chance for goodbyes. Goodbyes suck anyway, it was better this way.

Walking over to Kirara, Inuyasha tapped her back and quietly said farewell to his friends. He didn't want to tell Shippo his plans because he knew that the kitsune would try to stay with him. He hoped they made it out safely and lived. Once Inuyasha killed Naraku, Miroku's family curse would be over and he would then hopefully live a long life with Sango.

At least one couple would have a fairy tale ending.

Turning away from his friends, Inuyasha raised Tetsaiga over his head. He had found that the body cavity they were in was close to the outside. If Inuyasha used the Wind Scar, followed by the Adamant Barrage he would be able to blow a hole in Naraku long enough for his friends to get out before Naraku rebuilt his body.

"Get ready to escape the second I slice with the Adamant Barrage. Do as I say. You must get out of Naraku and take care of Sango and Miroku. Do you hear me Shippo? Kirara?"

Before they had a chance to even nod in agreement, Inuyasha let out the Wind Scar, which caused a small hole about the size of a fist. This was perfect, now Inuyasha could use the Adamant Barrage to rip the rest of the way through for Kirara to fly out.

"ADAMANT BARRAGE!!"

The moment the space was large enough to pass through, Kirara was gone and safely outside of Naraku. It was sad to think that that was the last time he would ever see them again. They had all been through so much together, it would have been nice to have talked with Miroku and Sango before they left, but Inuyasha just didn't know how much time he had before Naraku would start sending more clones his way. It was actually pretty damn surprising that Naraku hadn't gotten in the way of Inuyasha blowing a hole threw him. Whatever must have happened to him must be requiring all of his attention.

"Naraku! Where are you hiding!? Don't tell me you're scared to come out and face me! Always having your clones do your dirty work!"

Inuyasha's words echoed through the silence.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now!? I have no way of knowing where the Shikon jewel is and Naraku won't show his face! Damn it! If only Kagome was here. _

As soon as Inuyasha thought her name again, Kagome appeared as an illusion standing before him. Her eyes smiled, while her hair bounced along her shoulders. This time when she spoke, Inuyasha could make out her words, barely, but it was enough.

"Inuyasha, you must live. Please do not give up. If you continue to walk forward and go up one cavity, you will find Naraku's heart." Kagome's voice was like satin to Inuyasha's ears. Before her illusion faded, she reached her hand to Inuyasha's face and wiped off a tear while caressing his cheek.

"Kagome! Don't go! Kagome! I need you! There is so much I want to tell you! Kagome….."

Inuyasha fell to his knees while simultaneously dropping Tetsaiga. Covering his face with his hands, he couldn't catch his breath. His face still tingled from her touch and he never wanted it to stop because it was all he had left from her. If that really was her; maybe it was her spirit. Either way it didn't matter, all that mattered was that even in death she believed in him, he knew she did. She must be waiting for him to meet her in the afterlife.

But if that was true, why did she ask him to live? Why would she want him to go on living without her? Even Kikyo tried to force him into Hell. Now Inuyasha wants to go willingly and Kagome wants him to live.

_I don't care what she wants, I need her. She may be able to be without me in the afterlife, but I cannot live without her. Life is meaningless without the one you love. _

Pushing himself back onto his feet and grabbing Tetsaiga, Inuyasha decided to follow Kagome's directions. If he couldn't reach the Shikon jewel, he would kill Naraku by crushing his heart. Who knows, if even found the Shikon jewel he would probably turn into his full demon form again even if he shielded himself. Wasn't that what I wanted all along? But that was before I met Kagome. What he wouldn't give to be able to feel her skin; to be able to slide his fingertips over her body. He wanted to taste her and make her shudder against his tongue. Inuyasha wanted to make her into a woman.

Just thinking about Kagome sexually, Inuyasha knew more than ever that he had to see her in the afterlife. If they couldn't be together in this world, he would make sure they were together in the next.

Flying into a fit of fury Inuyasha pushed himself off the floor and lunged straight through Naraku where Kagome said his heart would be. Using Tetsaiga, he stepped into the cavity that would be most precious to Naraku. His heart should be more important than the Shikon no tama. Without his heart he could nolonger regenerate and he would eventually die.

"Did you think it would be that easy Inuyasha? That I would just let you cut my heart out! You really are just a stupid mutt. But I already knew that. Your friends escaped, but the munk will still die." Naraku finally decided to come out of hiding.

"Naraku! You will pay for what you have done. I hope you rot in Hell you bastard!"

Inuyasha's eyes started to turn into the color of blood, and one stripe formed across his left cheek bone. His anger boiled and his jaw clenched as he held Tetsaiga in a death grip. Every muscle in his body flexed with the anticipation of cutting Naraku's heart from his deformed body.

"Are you getting mad Inuyasha? That's cute. I'm surprised you even made it this far without your precious Kagome and your friends. You're a fool to open your heart to a human. I will give you what you've always wanted; I will make you a full demon permanently. Then you would never have to feel like this ever again. What do you say?"

"Go to Hell!" Shaking with rage at the very idea of offering him a way to erase Kagome's memory, Inuyasha ripped through Naraku's illusion causing it to dissipate into the air. Circling around to let his sword slice through the soft tissue of Naraku's dark heart, a tentacle sprang from the wall and wrapped around Inuyasha's ankle dragging him to the ground. Swinging Tetsaiga into the tentacle attached to his ankle, he was able to steady himself and stand back into fighting position. Naraku's vines flew in numbers at Inuyasha trying to wrap around his limbs.

"It's useless to fight Inuyasha, I will strangle the life from your body and display your cold dead face to your friends before absorbing you into me."

Frantically slicing down everything that was coming towards him, Inuyasha tried to move towards the prize. Dead limbs were flying through the air like rain, while reforming once hitting the ground. Inuyasha had to watch his step as he made his way through the debris. There was only one goal, and that was to make Naraku pay for all of the pain he had caused Inuyasha, his friends, and anybody else who crossed paths with the demon. There would be no mercy. Mercy didn't even exist in Inuyasha's world right now. There was only death, and that's exactly how this would end; without mercy and leading to death. There would be no celebration remembering the day Naraku was killed. Naraku wasn't even worth that much, he was meaningless and he would not get the hope of knowing that he will be remembered. His body will be tossed aside like a rotten tomato, never to be thought of again.

* * *

Kagome was limp in Seshomaru's arms. After breaking the seal on Rin's barrier she was knocked out by the force and she had not yet returned to consciousness. Rin had awoken not long after she was released, but Naraku absorbed the Shikon jewel before Seshomaru could try to destroy it. Rin didn't appear to be hurt, just confused. 

"Seshomaru-sama! You came for me!" Rin squealed when she had awoken to Seshomaru's stare.

"Yes, it appears I have." Seshomaru wasn't the type for hugs and kisses so his answer was as emotionless as ever. It was not a secret that he cared for Rin, but he treated it as a weakness and rarely did he show his love out loud. Inside he was allowed to feel pain, but the outside had to remain cold, as a demon lord should be. Everything should appear to be treated with indifference.

Following behind Seshomaru, Rin kept up pace by holding onto his kimono. He was swift even with the extra weight of Kagome, not that she weighed much anyway. Seshomaru needed to find a way to get both girls out of Naraku before either was put in more jeopardy. Kagome would do him no good dead, she needed to heal and then she could help him find the Shikon jewel. She might even be able to take care of Rin in the process of finding the Shikon jewel for him. Maybe Rin would behave and act more like a girl if there was a woman figure in her life.

Inuyasha probably wouldn't be happy about Seshomaru taking his woman, but when has Seshomaru ever cared what Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha was just a pest among God's. He would never have the amount of power Seshomaru had, so fighting him would prove fruitless if he had the urge to take back his Miko.

_This woman is no longer Inuyasha's Miko for that matter, she is mine. She will eventually become loyal to only me and then I won't have to worry about her running off to find that mutt. She's not bad to look at either, she will clean up nicely. Her hair is a bit dull, but that can be corrected with time._

Adjusting Kagome against his chest to ease the stiffness in his arm, her hair fell over her face blocking Seshomaru's view of her exquisite features. Pushing her head against his shoulder, he slid the hair from her face and delicately hooked it behind her ears. She was so fragile, how could a human like this survive as long as she has. Inuyasha is an idiot! If this woman meant so much to him, he should have never allowed her anywhere near Naraku. But she did have an awfully stubborn attitude, and it happened to be quite annoying.

_What am I thinking right now? I don't care for this Miko; I simply need her to perform a duty for me. She can die afterwards if that is what she is trying to achieve by throwing herself into every dangerous situation that arises. _

Seshomaru couldn't figure out why he couldn't let her hair hide her face. It just seemed an injustice to let her face be hidden. Seshomaru also didn't mind having the ability to look upon her smooth facial features, tracing her cheek bones with his eyes.

**So I will probably have chapter 4 posted after Christmas! I hope everybody has a happy holidays and please enjoy chapter 3! Let me know what you think so far. ,)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

**I don't own Inuyasha,)**

_"Inuyasha...Inuyash! Don't leave me. Where are you going? I don't understand what's going on right now. Where am I? Inuyasha. You idiot! Don't leave me. I need you, please don't die." Kagome chased Inuyasha with all her might, but he only got further and further away, fading into darkness. " Inuyasha! I love you! Come back! Please."_

_Kagome fell to her knees in tears. He didn't want her; he had never really loved her. Why is she trying so hard to get him back when she should just give up? Ill just forget him, he won't even exist to me anymore._

_Crying harder into her hands, her breath came in ragged gasps. Kagome's heart ripped from her chest as she tried to wipe Inuyasha's imprints from the surface. If she just forgot him it wouldn't hurt this bad. She could go home and just pretend like this was a fairy tale she had read in a book. But she wanted the fairy tale to end differently than this. Just forget it! It never happened._

_Why am I doing this to myself? I knew he didn't love me! But he promised he would always protect me and never leave me! I was such an idiot! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I just need to forget it. It's over and never happened._

_Every time Kagome would come to the conclusion that she had to forget him, Inuyasha would appear before her. His eyes were orbs of amber and they smiled as they looked down at her crumpled form as if saying everything was going to be alright. His long silver hair cascaded down past his shoulders and shone with angelic intensity. He would always reach out and touch her cheek to wipe away the tears, and just like the time before, her skin would tingle from the caress of his fingertips. His lips would move as if they tried to tell her something, but Kagome could never understand what he was trying to say. The second Kagome would stand to embrace him, he would fade into the distance, and the nightmare would start anew._

_Kagome was in her own version of Hell and it seemed that escape or savior would be far from near. Her heart was bound to be ripped from her chest over and over until she suppressed his memory so far into the depths of her heart that he would cease to exist. Otherwise she was going to die from a broken heart. Kagome definitely didn't want to be part of a tragic romance, how unfair would that be?_

* * *

Seshomaru starred at Kagome's fitful body. She had been sleeping for days now and all she did was toss and turn from nightmares. Seshomaru had tried many times to wake her, but she just didn't respond to anything. If she didn't wake enough to eat something soon, she might not ever wake up and would soon die. This Miko was becoming quite the problem.

Seshomaru had escaped from Naraku. He wasn't quite sure how, he just kept slicing through tissue and eventually they were met with fresh air. Naraku didn't regenerate at the speed he originally did, Seshomaru still couldn't figure out why. It didn't really matter at this time anyway, as long as he and his girls were out. Now he just had to make sure his Miko lived.

If it wasn't for Inuyasha, none of this would be happening! I wouldn't be missing an arm, I would have Tetsiaga, and I wouldn't be the father-like figure to this human girl. I don't even understand these feelings I have for these humans! Every time I think I have accepted their loss, I come up with a reason why I cannot lose them! It's absolutely absurd! Why does my heart feel like this when all I want is to live my own life, carefree from others?

Seshomaru let out a sigh as he gazed upon a peacefully sleeping Rin and his Miko. He wished there was some way he could comfort her, but she seemed only to get worse. And what could he do anyway?

Letting his eyes wonder over her body, Seshomaru memorized every curve of his Miko. She had finally stopped sweating and her face wasn't in a screwed up frown. Her nightmares must be letting her rest a bit; her body was relaxing and her facial features were beginning to calm. Crouching over her form, Seshomaru brushed Kagome's hair from her face and caught a runaway tear as it rolled down her cheek bone. The thought of her crying caused a knot to form in Seshomaru's throat. She was not the type to cry from what he had seen, she was very strong and determined; annoyingly stubborn as well.

Seshomaru hadn't looked at a woman the way he viewed Kagome in centuries. Women only caused heart ache and they would die before Seshomaru anyway, so there was no reason that made any sense to knowingly set yourself up for heart ache. He still kicked himself when he thought of how fond he was of Rin. She had asked him once if he would ever forget her when she died and he had his kingdom, his only response was to quit asking silly questions. But he would never forget Rin, they had a special bond. He was like a father to her and because of his weird way of love; she would be forever screwed up. But that was ok, because he liked her the way she was.

Rin would follow Seshomaru without question or fear and she never seemed to be sad unless separated from him. In all honesty, Seshomaru would never forget Rin, ever. In fact, when she died after hopefully living a long life by his side, he would find her reincarnation so that he could be with her again. Rin might be different when reincarnated, but she would still be Seshomaru's Rin. But Seshomaru knew that he could never have a sexual relationship with her, it would ruin their already perfect relationship. What they considered perfect anyway. Anybody else who would peak at it from a distance would find it odd. Those people can rot in Hell.

Turning his head to peer at Rin, he noticed that she was still sleeping peacefully. She was quite a beautiful child; she would grow up into quite the woman. Seshomaru would kill any man that attempted to lay a finger on her, unless he was who she wanted when she grew up. Even then he wasn't sure if anybody could have her.

Bringing his attention back to Kagome, he knelt into a more comfortable position. Being on the hard ground wasn't really what you would call comfortable, but at least Rin cleared the twigs and leaves away before making camp. Seshomaru believed that his Miko would wake soon and he wanted to be near her in case there was something wrong with her that she couldn't tell while she was sleeping.

Just as Seshomaru had thought it, Kagome's almond eyes peaked out from under her eyelids. Her expression was blank and the life in her eyes was dim. She looked at him without seeming to understand who he was. Something was clearly wrong, she always had the look of defiance in her eyes while around Seshomaru, yet right now, there was nothing. No hint of defiance, knowing, or life. She was awake, but quite dead.

"Where am I?" she whispered as if scared to really know, or maybe care.

"You are with me, Miko. Are you feeling well? You have been asleep for days."

"I don't know who you are, or who I am for that matter.." sighing, Kagome closed her eyes trying to remember why this man was familiar to her. "I don't seem to remember anything. Can you tell me anything about myself? And who you are?"

"I am Seshomaru, a demon lord, and I only know that your first name is Kagome. You are my Miko." Seshomaru stated matter of fact and with zero emotion.

"Kagome." she seemed to let the word roll around her mouth to get the feel of what she was called. "That sounds right."

Pushing herself into an upright position, she was within touching distance of Seshomaru. Reaching out to touch his hand, he slightly jerked but controlled himself long enough to let her feel him. There was no need to frighten the wits out of someone who apparently lost her memory from the shock of the event. This was either going to be a pain in the ass, or work to his advantage. Seshomaru just hadn't decided yet.

"What do you mean I am your Miko? What is a Miko?" Kagome couldn't quite figure out how she was someone's property. She could remember basic things but anything specific pertaining to her was at a loss.

"Yes, you are my priestess. You have the ability to purify things. You are quite good with arrows and our current mission is to find the Shikon no tama." Seshomaru decided to bend the story a little, but really he wasn't lying. She was now his Miko and she could do all the things that he just said.

Kagome nodded her head, not in agreement, but with acceptance. She would have to believe anything that was said to her right now because she could not remember anything.

"You must be in shock or something from our last fight with Naraku. You were fine and after being knocked out, you were asleep for days and now you seem to have lost your memory. It's quite odd. I will help you with what I can." Seshomaru would help her if she needed it, but it would always be in his favor.

"Are we together? Is that our child?" Kagome pointed at Rin and looked hurt that she might actually have forgotten her very own child.

"In a sense we are what you call 'together.' No, Rin is not our child. She is like my child, but more of a friend than anything. I saved her life and now she follows me without question wherever we go." Seshomaru was walking on ice trying to not actually blatantly lie to his Miko, because if she recovered her memory she would be furious and leave him.

Why was he worrying so much over this Miko? He couldn't figure out why he wanted her to stay so badly. He really didn't need her to find the jewel because he could sense Naraku. Every time he pictured her leaving, his heart would skip a beat and he would think of a hundred reasons why he needed her as his Miko and denying every reason why he wanted her as his woman.

"Dammit!" Kagome punched the ground frustrated that she couldn't remember anything! "I just don't understand! This just doesn't seem right. You do feel familiar, but I don't know what kind of familiar. When I think your name, I feel like I should be nervous. Why would I feel nervous around somebody that I should be with?"

Seshomaru reached over and hooked her hair behind her ears to keep it from falling over her eyes. Kagome jumped at his touch, but it was comforting in a world of nothing. She was in a void with a beautiful demon lord. Isn't this kind of like a fairy tale? To show that she accepted his touch, she in turn ran her fingers through his long white hair.

A small growl escaped his lips at her touch. The growl was familiar to her, not his in particular, but the growl none the less. She needed comfort in a world of confusion and right now he was offering so she would take it.

His hand came to the side of her face and she felt goose bumps all the way to her spine. The warmth of his hand was inviting and she wanted nothing more than to be held. Starring at him with pleading eyes not to stop, he ran his fingers through her hair and ended at the nape of her neck. She noticed that he was missing an arm but for some reason this seemed normal and it didn't bother her in the least. Kagome caught her breath as Seshomaru leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her collar bone.

"Sesh...Seshomaru... is this how it normally is?" Kagome managed to let a breathy sentence escape her lips while trying to overcome dizziness and the warm feeling that seemed to creep between her legs.

Ignoring Kagome's question, Seshomaru traced her lips with his fingers indicating that she didn't need to talk right now. Placing his lips in place of his fingers, he nibbled her bottom lip while enjoying the feeling of her trembling. Pressing his weight against her, he pushed her back down onto her pallet.

His eyes were intense amber and full of passion as they skimmed over her body. His hair fell around her face leaving her only the direct view of his eyes and his lips. She didn't want him to stop, but it just didn't feel right. But this must be how it is supposed to be, so giving in was the only thing she could think of doing. Maybe it would help her remember.

A single tear fell down her face because of her frustration at not knowing this man who seemed to be comforting her the only way he knew how. Confused, Seshomaru leaned back to get a better view of Kagome's eyes. He smelled the salt of tears, but they were passionately tangled, why would she cry? Wrapping her arms around his neck, she tugged him into a position where he was half on top of her. Continuing to run her fingers through his hair seemed to comfort her and take her mind off of her frustration.

Seshomaru was also comforted by her embrace. This was unlike him; his passionate side rarely overcame his sensible side. Pushing his nose into the crevice of her neck, Kagome could feel his warm breath as it brushed against her skin. Tangling her legs around his, she adjusted into a more comfortable position against his body.

Before Seshomaru was able to say anything to comfort her, he could feel the rhythm of her breathing and she was sound asleep. Caressing her cheek, he hoped that she would sleep better than the night before. He didn't have the heart to untangle their bodies, so instead he fell asleep against her and absorbed the warmth that radiated from her being. She really was one of the most beautiful people inside and out that he had ever met. Hopefully she would choose to stay with him like Rin.

* * *

"Do you think he will wake up soon Miroku?" Sango was getting more and more worried about Inuyasha. He had been asleep for days and he was obviously having nightmares.

"I forced him to drink herbal tea that should help him. I don't know what has happened; I know that he must have killed Naraku though because my wind tunnel is gone!" Miroku was thrilled that his family curse was overcome, but he was also worried about his friend.

"Do you think we should look for Kagome again? You would think that we would have found her with Inuyasha. Didn't he say he was going to find her Shippo?" Sango was hoping that Shippo would tell them more than they knew since he was the last one to talk with Inuyasha.

Shippo only shrugged and said that he had told them all he knew. Inuyasha had told him that he had lost her and was going to find her before he made a way for them to escape.

Sighing, Sango was worried about her friends. She and Miroku woke up in the forest to Shippo and Kirara taking care of them. A day after the escaped and recovered from the miasma poisoning Miroku's wind tunnel disappeared and while skimming the area, they found Inuyasha sprawled out in a ditch. He had wounds and gashes all over his body that were in bad shape when they found him. It doesn't take long for hanyou's to heal because they have demon coursing through their veins, so Inuyasha's physical wounds had healed within a few days. But they just couldn't get him to wake up.

Miroku walked over to the worried Sango and embraced her in a comforting hug.

"Now that I am well and Naraku is dead, will you continue to marry me?" Miroku asked, his eyes never leaving Sango's face.

"Of course I will Miroku, but we need to help our friends. I can't stand the thought of Kagome missing our wedding. We have to find her." Sango's eyes watered at the possibility that Kagome may be dead. She had already lost her brother in the process of fighting Naraku.

Shippo bounced into Sango's arms the moment she and Miroku ended their embrace.

"What do you think we should do!? We can't just sit here, while Kagome could be out there in trouble!" Shippo couldn't get Kagome out of his head.

"You don't need to look for her." Everybody jumped when they heard Inuyasha's voice. He had finally woken up and a huge burden seemed to lift from around the group of friends.

"What do you mean we don't need to look for her blockhead!? Do you know where she is?" Sango's voice screeched as she glared in Inuyasha's direction.

"She is dead." Inuyasha whispered as he placed his hands over his face wishing that he was dead with her. "In fact, I tried to kill myself when I killed Naraku, but apparently I'm still here."

Sango's heart beat sped to an incredible rate as she began crying and consoling Shippo. Miroku looked like he had aged ten years within the time Inuyasha came awake and then followed that with bad news.

Inuyasha could barely look at any of them in the face. Kagome was important to each and every one of them. She had left imprints on their hearts. "I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you Shippo when I said goodbye to you in Naraku. I killed her. Naraku turned me into a full demon and I killed her. I'm...sorry...I tried to go with her into the after life. I...did.." Inuyasha rolled onto his stomach to hide his face in his arms. How could he do such a thing!? There was no end to his agony, he didn't think he would ever have to explain it out loud and now that he had to tell his friends, he would rather be dead.

He felt a hand on his back, and Sango hugged him tight letting him know it would be alright. Miroku had Shippo in his arms now and all he could do was stare at the ground. He knew how much Kagome meant to Inuyasha, but how could he do it? How could he kill the woman he so obviously loved?

"Where is the Shikon jewel Inuyasha?" Sango knew that Naraku was dead but who knows how many demons wanted the jewel. With Kagome dead, there was no one to purify it; they had to find a way to destroy it. Sango was tired and all she wanted was to rest and trying to defeat another demon with the whole jewel was not something that was on her to-do list.

"I sent it and Naraku into the void that leads to the afterlife. We don't have to worry about it anymore. Have any of you seen Seshomaru? He was in Naraku, but I didn't see him go into the void." Inuyasha was slowly recovering from his tears. It was hard to show weakness in front of his friends, but losing Kagome was by far the worst tragedy of his life. He had secretly planned to let Kagome use the jewel to turn him into a human and he then wanted to go back to her time and live together for the rest of their days. This was definitely not part of his plan.

What would he do now? There was nothing left to do. He thought he would die. The only thing he had left from her was a gold heart locket with their picture in it. He never told anybody that he had it, and he definitely didn't tell Kagome that he had kept it. Pulling it out from under his jacket, he opened and gazed at her picture for a few minutes and then he gently unhooked it from his neck and passed it around to each one of them.

Silently they all accepted her loss when each had the locket in their hands. Sango kissed the picture, Shippo made a wish, and Miroku only traced her face with his finger. This was all they could do without her body. Suddenly breaking the silence Miroku looked at Inuyasha with hope.

"Inuyasha, where is Kagome's body? Did you actually see her die and if so tell me where her body is!" Miroku sprang to life at the thought that maybe Inuyasha was wrong.

"I didn't actually see her die or find her body. When I came back to myself, her blood was on my hands! What the Hell does that matter Miroku!? What's wrong with you!?" Inuyasha was becoming irritated with the thought of Miroku giving them hope when the situation was more than hopeless. He had seen and smelled her blood on his hands. That must mean she is dead right? Even Naraku said that Inuyasha had murdered her.

"If you didn't see her die, then she could be alive!" Sango's eyes brightened at the idea and her lips turned into an excited smile. Maybe they were all wrong.

Shippo looked like he clung on to the idea of her being alive for dear life. Kagome was like a mother to him.

"Even Naraku told me that I killed her. It was his plan from the beginning. The bastard!" Inuyasha glared at his hands like they were Naraku in Inuyasha's flesh. "Don't go wishing on something that can't be. It will only make her loss that much worse."

"Well I will look for her without you then. When I find her I will just tell her that you didn't have the heart to find her so you gave up before even starting! You asshole!" Miroku looked at Inuyasha with a stone cold glare.

"Kirara and I are going to. Shippo will you come with us or stay with this pig headed fool?" Sango scratched the kitsune behind his ear while giving an equally cold stare to Inuyasha.

Shippo nodded and glared at Inuyasha in a manner befitting a grown up.

"Dammit! Why are you all looking at me like that! How do you think I already feel!? I love her okay! I loved her, is what I should have said," looking back to the ground Inuyasha wanted so much to give up, "I just don't think I can handle my heart breaking again."

"Then you can stay right here and do nothing. If you decide to catch up, we will be glad for your company." Miroku stood up and grabbed his things, implying that it was time for them all to go.

"You will leave even though it is close to dark? You are all idiots." Inuyasha laid back down on his pallet and rolled over.

"'It's whatever you think Inuyasha." Miroku made his last statement before turning away and walking off into the woods with Sango, Kirara, and Shippo in tow.

* * *

_"Kagome...Kagome...Why did you have to leave me?" Kagome stood before Inuyasha. She was as beautiful as she ever could have been. Her eyes danced over Inuyasha as he kneeled before her trying to wrap his arms around her legs. He could not let her go, he just couldn't._

_Kagome softly pulled his chin up so that he could see into her almond eyes. Her hair was floating behind her and her skin glowed like a good spirit. Her lips began to move and surprisingly Inuyasha could hear her. He had had this dream multiple times, but he had never actually heard the words that she was speaking. He could only pretend to trace her lips with understanding._

_"Inuyasha, do not give up on life. You will find that there is power with your passion. You will find what you seek; I promised I will always stay with you. Close your eyes and I am here, give up and I will slowly disappear."_

_"How can I not give up on life when you are the reason that I live. Without you, I don't know what to do anymore."_

_"Find me. I am more than just in your heart."_

_Inyasha didn't know what that meant, but he knew that he could live forever in this moment right now. Grasping her for dear life, he never wanted to wake from this dream. She began to fade right before his eyes and then she was gone. It always happened this way in the end and it was like clock work that his heart would bleed as she faded._

_"Kagome...Kagome..."_

**So that was chapter 4! Please let me know what you think. The next chapter should get pretty interesting.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**I do not own Inuyasha! ; )**

"Okay, so I don't know what's going on with my skirt, but flashing the whole world isn't going to work for me. I know I had injuries that needed to be tended to, but did you have to rip my skirt!? Please tell me that you have something for me to change into." Kagome could not believe that she had been out of it for days and the entire time she was introducing nature to the color pink. If there was a need for camouflage, there was no way she would fit in unless the forest decided to grow neon leaves.

"Actually I have acquired a few things for you." Seshomaru pointed to a neatly folded pile of clothes sitting next to a bow and several arrows. "Take the clothes and go bathe, there is a hot spring about ten minutes away. Rin will show you where it is."

"So you're saying that I smell? Great!" Kagome stomped to her new set of clothes and snatched them off the ground.

"Apparently the loss of memory did not affect your attitude. You should work on that. Now go bathe, it will make you feel better."

"Fine! And quit starring at my crotch!"

Seshomaru only acknowledged her statement with a half smile and then turned around and walked off.

"What nerve! I can't believe I'm supposed to have feelings for that man!"

"He's not that bad you know Kagome. He did save us and he didn't have to. By the way, how are your injuries?" Rin was bright eyed and smiled even though Kagome was clearly frustrated. She had the oddest demeanor; she could walk on splinters and still smile.

"My stomach seems to be healing well. Do you by chance know what happened? The cuts look like they were from an animal or something." Kagome wanted more than anything to find out more about herself, even if it was something as small as the cause of her wounds.

"I'm not sure, you should ask Seshomaru." Rin thought so highly of her demon lord; there was nothing that he didn't know or couldn't do.

"Yea, I guess you're right." Following Rin, Kagome walked the rest of the way to the hot spring in silence.

There were large oak trees that surrounded the hot spring making the area more private and comfortable. It was better that it was private; Kagome didn't want to have to worry about any peeping toms, especially not a big demon lord. They may have spent a night embracing, but the initial comfort left the moment she woke finding that his touch was not as familiar as she had originally thought. She felt the need to be held, but it seemed like it should be by someone else. There was an emptiness in Kagome's heart that she could not fill without finding out about her past.

Sliding off her ruined skirt and pink panties, Kagome dipped her toe in the spring water testing the temperature. It was very warm and it actually would be very relaxing to get a chance to let her muscles unwind and to finally clean the dried blood from her body. Unbuttoning her shirt, she threw it onto the pile of dirty clothes making sure to keep it from touching her new ones. Sliding into the water, Kagome found a decent sized rock to lie against while lounging and trying to remember something significant about herself.

"Kagome, are you ok?" Rin had been worrying about Kagome all day. Kagome's mood seemed to change from angry to sad and all the emotions in between within moments of each other. Rin knew that it must be hard to lose your memory, but she had nothing to worry about; Seshomaru would protect them.

"Rin, what do you know about me? I am just so angry that I can't remember anything. I don't know how to pick up and move on without knowing something about myself." Kagome was tired of feeling hopeless and lost. There had to be somewhere she could start from; some piece of information that she can grasp onto that will help her find herself.

"I know that you are a priestess and that you fight against the same demon as Seshomaru. You had friends that fought against Naraku as well. But I never saw them after we were rescued so I don't know if they are alive or not." Rin genuinely wanted to help Kagome, but she really just didn't know very much. It was frustrating for her to see Kagome in the pain that she was in.

"I heard Seshomaru say something about not being able to sense this Naraku fellow. I don't know what that means really and I didn't ask. But you said I had other friends too. Tell me something about them….please. Maybe if I find them they will help me." Kagome couldn't believe it! She had friends out there, they might be dead but what if they weren't. They were her friends, so they would know everything about her. This was more than Kagome could hope for. She would set out immediately and try to find them.

"Well from what I remember there were five of them. There was a woman demon slayer, who had a demon cat, a monk, a kitsune and Seshomaru's half-brother who is a half-demon." Rin's nose scrunched in concentration as she counted off each one of her fingers. It was almost as if starring at her hands would help her remember more clearly the characteristics of each one.

"So that is how they are my friends, I met them through Seshomaru since one of them is his brother."

"Half-brother. And actually it was the other way around I think. You know Seshomaru because of his half-brother." Rin made a point to say half-brother; she knew how irritated Seshomaru would get when people referred to the hanyou as his full brother. Rin just couldn't for life of her remember his name or the others for that matter. She was sure she had over heard them at some point, but they just weren't coming to mind.

Kagome should have been shocked at that last statement, but it didn't surprise her. For some reason she just didn't feel like she was supposed to be with Seshomaru.

_I need to find my friends. I hope that they are alive, I don't remember them, but if I did I'm sure I would miss them. Is Seshomaru lying to me? Why would he do that? He said that we were together. Maybe we are, maybe I fell in love with him after meeting him. But that just doesn't sound right? Would I ever love someone who has zero emotion and who's one goal is to frustrate the shit out of me? What a bastard! He better make me fall in love with him again, or this just isn't going to work. I wonder if he would have a problem with me trying to find my friends. I may not know what they look like, but they sound like a group that's pretty hard not to notice. Even if Seshomaru doesn't want me to go, I'll just leave anyway! He doesn't own me! What a jerk. Telling me I'm HIS Miko!! He has balls, I'll give him that much._

"Well that settles it; I'm going to find my friends." Kagome finished washing off and then crawled out of the water leaving Rin to wash the soap out of her hair. Unfolding her new attire, she slipped on her pants which were a forest green. They were tight around her waist and then became baggy around her legs. The pants fit her curves quite nicely, forming to her every move. The shirt was an off white pull over that Kagome tucked into her pants. The outfit was overall comfortable and the material was nice. To finish off her new look, Kagome wrapped a piece of string around her hair forming a low pony tail in the back. She knew that she would be traveling and she didn't want her hair to stick to her face from the sweat.

"That outfit looks good on you. You look like a real priestess now! Seshomaru will be pleased!" Rin had decided to get out and get dressed along with Kagome. She had put back on her flower kimono.

"Ugh. I really don't care if he is pleased or not. But it is nice to be clean and the clothes are comfortable." Kagome slipped on her sandals and threw her bow and arrows over her shoulder. "Are you ready to go back to camp Rin? I want to start finding my friends right away"

"Yup! I'm ready! I'll lead the way." Rin grabbed her belongings and headed for camp. Kagome had to pick up her pace to keep up with the little girl. Rin was quite fast, but it was probably from having to keep up with a demon lord who practically floats. How ridiculous.

* * *

"I can't believe how stupid Inuyasha is! It makes me so mad! How can he just give up!?" Sango couldn't believe how Inuyasha so easily gave into depression. "I know he killed Kikyo and now he thinks he killed Kagome, but he doesn't _really _know! Ugh!" Sango stomped through the forest in rage.

"You know Sango, when you talk about someone you should make sure they aren't there!" Inuyasha jumped from an oak tree and landed in front of Sango.

"Well….I…I didn't think you would come Inuyasha!! Have you decided to stay with us then and try and find Kagome?" Sango hid her embarrassment behind attitude. She really didn't think Inuyasha would come. But it was a relief to now have him with them.

"I am coming with you all to make sure you don't get into any trouble! I don't see how Kagome can be alive, but I will come regardless. Just don't expect my pity when your hearts break at the realization that she is no longer with us!" Inuyasha really wanted to believe that Kagome was alive but she visited him from the spirit world in his dreams; she would have to be dead to do that right? But she did want him to live so that could mean that she might still be alive. At least Inuyasha had secretly hoped that she was still alive. If he found her, he would tell her everything. There would be no way in Hell that he would ever let her out of his sight again.

Smiling, Miroku and Sango shared a look that they knew what was going on; Inuyasha hoped she was alive as well.

"Well, we have been walking all night. Do any of you want to stop for a bath? There should be a hot spring around here if my memory serves me correctly." Miroku winked at Sango as if implying that he would love to do naughty things to her at the hot springs. She politely answered his wink with a slap across the face.

"Miroku! We are not married yet! Get those dirty thoughts from your mind you perv!"

"I do need a bath!" Shippo perked up at the thought of getting a chance to be clean.

"Well, we can take turns, since Sango doesn't want to oblige me with her company. Inuyasha would you like to join me? Sango and Shippo can bathe after!" Smiling at himself for working Sango up, he turned and walked in the direction of the spring with Inuyasha at his heels. Miroku knew how badly Sango wanted him, she just covered it up with a bad attitude! He just knew it.

"You sure can get that woman mad at you Miroku."

"She wants me and she knows it! She is just playing hard to get." Miroku smiled at Inuyasha with his hand covering the red hand mark across his face.

"Ha! That's what you think. Stupid monk! And what is this about getting married?"

"Naraku is dead, and we had always said that she would be my woman after we killed Naraku. I do love her you know; just like you love Kagome."

Her name still caused Inuyasha's heart to break. Looking down at the ground while walking, he just couldn't bring himself to look at Miroku or he would cry.

"I know this is hard for you Inuyasha, but you have to have hope. If we find her, you will be able to tell her how you feel."

"I don't want to talk about this Miroku. You know I may never find her again."

"We are almost there. We can relax for awhile. The longer we are there, the better chance Sango will have cooled off." Chuckling to himself, Miroku nervously scratched the back of his head. The spring came into view and both guys sighed at the sight. It would be wonderful to bathe after the battle with Naraku. They smelled of blood and sweat and who knows what could be crawling in their hair.

As Inuyasha began to undress his nose twitched. Abruptly he hit the ground trying to sniff out what he thought was Kagome's blood. Miroku was so busy trying to fold his clothing that he didn't even notice Inuyasha acting weird. Crawling over rocks and sniffing around the water, he found them. Thrown across the grown was Kagome's school girl uniform. Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat; did this mean that she really was alive?

"Miroku!" Inuyasha pointed at the pile of clothes before bending down to pick them up. The skirt was torn across the front, which infuriated Inuyasha. Who the Hell would tear Kagome's skirt like that!? That person will die if he ever gets his hands on them. Prying his gaze away from the skirt he noticed that her button down was no longer white, but stained with blood. Inuyasha knew why she was bleeding; it was his entire fault. Hugging the clothing to his chest, Inuyasha clenched his teeth and then cried out with anger.

"You know what this means Inuyasha! She is alive! Why else would her school girl outfit be by a spring!? She bathed and then changed clothes!" Miroku looked kind of funny jumping up and down naked, but he did have a point. Why else would her clothes be here?

Inuyasha felt a flood of relief wash over his entire being as he tossed the idea around in his head.

_This could mean she is alive! This must be why she didn't want me to give up. Why wouldn't she come to us if she was alive? Maybe she is looking for us and we just haven't crossed paths yet. I must find her, I hope she is alright and will forgive me. I have to tell her how I feel before it's too late._

"Miroku, if you are going to bounce around like that, I would love it if you would put on clothes!" Sitting down on the ground, Inuyasha folded Kagome's outfit over and over until it was perfect. Inuyasha had never been so happy to find a bloody outfit; it was better than finding nothing and never realizing that Kagome was alive.

"Where do you think she got a change of clothes from Inuyasha? If she was badly injured like her blouse suggests, she would not have made it to a town for clothing." Miroku walked up to Inuyasha and leaned his naked body in the direction of her clothes.

"Miroku! Get away from me; I don't enjoy the crotch shot!" Inuyasha's face scrunched as he tried to back away from the naked Miroku. "But that is a good question. If she is still alive, she must be with somebody. But who? Who would help Kagome?" It could be anybody really. Inuyasha could probably follow her scent unless it rains. It appeared from the scent that she had left, that she had been there yesterday morning. She could have gotten pretty far since yesterday, but her scent should still be fairly strong.

"That's a good question Inuyasha. We need to tell Sango, let's go right now. Ugh. How I would have loved a bath though." Miroku started walking towards the direction of camp without even remembering that he definitely needed his clothing.

"Miroku! You better throw on your robe or you're going to get more than a slap! She will kill you! Although, it would be pretty funny." Chuckling at the picture that filled his head, Inuyasha delicately picked up Kagome's folded outfit and headed towards camp while Miroku ran back to the spring to dress.

* * *

"So Kagome may be alive!? Let me see the clothes you have." Sango was overcome with relief but she was also cautious. She didn't want to assume Kagome was alive and then get her heart broken again just like Inuyasha had warned. When they first headed out to find Kagome, Sango knew that she was probably dead and she just wanted to at least find her body. But this new evidence meant that she was more than likely alive; this brought new hope and with hope there can be heartache. This is when they needed to tread lightly.

Reaching for the clothes, Inuyasha jerked slightly as if he didn't want to give up the only thing that connected Kagome to life. Realizing what he had done, he quickly gathered his senses and softly laid them in Sango's lap. "I'm sorry Sango, I just can't lose them. They are my connection to her."

"I understand. From the looks of her clothes, she has been through Hell. I wonder why her skirt is ripped from the front. This would basically give a full view of her private areas!" Blushing, Sango refolded the tattered pieces of cloth and handed them back to an eager Inuyasha.

"I noticed! And I'm not happy about it! I will kill whoever did that when I find them!" At the thought of someone being that close to Kagome, Inuyasha flexed his fingers and clenched his jaw. Nobody was allowed to touch Kagome in places that were meant for intimate moments! The thought made Inuyasha want to vomit and then rip apart anybody who had such nerve.

"Calm down Inuyasha, we need to focus on finding her now. Can you find her scent?" Miroku had decided to come back to camp fully clothed, fearing the wrath of his beloved Sango. For him to be a monk and to claim to follow the path of the righteous, he sure was a perv.

"How would you feel if you knew someone had done that to Sango!? Would you not think of ripping them apart!?" Rage coursed through Inuyasha's veins. He was having a difficult time controlling his anger and at this point his demon side was ready to surface.

"You're right, Inuyasha. I would kill anybody who even thought of touching my woman. But right now, we must first think of finding her. It is pointless to stand around and be angry when she could be getting further and further away. We need to rest for awhile to get enough energy to hunt for her and possibly fight for her. We have no idea if she is with someone dangerous." Miroku frowned as he paced back and forth causing a rivet in the dirt.

Visibly calming down, Inuyasha knew that Miroku was right. The only way they would find Kagome is if they focused. There was no point in being blinded by rage, too many mistakes would be made and mistakes could cause Kagome her life. Inuyasha would definitely kill himself if he lost her again, he truly believed now that she was alive and life would be unbearable to know that he had had a chance to find her, but he let that slip as well. Inuyasha wanted so badly to touch her, taste her, hold her to his body and let her know that they could never separate. Inuyasha didn't care about the Shikon no tama, he couldn't believe he ever even let that get in the way of his feelings for Kagome. He was an idiot. There had been so many times that he could have held her and comforted her; but he pushed back his own emotions because his ultimate goal had been to become the very object that he now hates. Kagome had shown him what it was to love life and live, he had been the one to insist on becoming a full demon. And the second Inuyasha evolved, he thanked Kagome by trying to kill her. He really didn't deserve to live now, but he had to go on and find Kagome to make things right. Inuyasha hoped more than anything that she would, at the very least, talk to him.

_What if the reason she never came back to me was because she hates me! She knows that I tried to kill her and she is trying to stay as far away from me as possible. Could she ever really be afraid of me? Kagome has seen me in my full demon form before and she didn't fear me at the time or after. But those times I had never almost killed her. She must think that since I couldn't stop myself, that deep down I didn't really care! I have to find her. Kagome…._

At the verge of tears, Inuyasha hugged the shreds of her clothing tighter to his chest. Looking from Miroku to Sango, his eyes showed the despair that was twisting his heart. The life in his amber eyes had dimmed and all he could think about was finding her and convincing her that he loved her.

"Grab your things, we need to find her as soon as possible." Not telling them why he was rushing, he tossed Shippo on Kirara's back indicating that it was time to leave. Inuyasha tucked Kagome's school uniform in his jacket to keep it close to his heart; then turned around and began to search for her scent.

* * *

_Hmmmm. I don't know why that Miko intrigues me. Touching her cause's fire to run through every limb of my body. She isn't afraid of me and she rebels against my authority, I should kill her for this, but instead I want to hold her. She has so much fight and so much life for someone so frail. Why do I feel this way? I have never felt the need to want to touch someone so badly. It's a ridiculous feeling that I should suppress, but every time she comes near my senses become tangled and I find it hard to think. This should never happen to a demon lord because it is considered a weakness but now I feel that not having her would be a weakness. I need to stop thinking like this, my feelings should be indifferent, and I shouldn't care whether or not she lives. I will try to forget this! Rin has made my heart weak, I should have let her die. But I know there is really no way I could have done that. These moments of weakness are going to be the end of me. My Rin will grow up and become old and then eventually die one day, and it will rip the heart from my chest. Its becoming harder and harder to deny my love for that child; just as the more I'm with this Miko I am finding it more difficult to let her out of my sight. Maybe if I just kill her I can stop feeling like this. That's what I will do; I will kill her when she and Rin comes back. There is no reason to put myself in a compromising position. Women only make men weak and Rin is my proof!_

**Ok! Well Im sorry it took me a little longer than usual to post a new chapter, but this new your stuff has been crazy! Hope everyone enjoyed there New Year's eve! Please let me know what you think,) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Seshomaru lounged against a tree while soaking up the day's warmth. His hair gleamed from the glare of the sun's rays that fought each other to get to be the light that touched his delicate locks as the tree branches swayed from the wind. His white kimono flared across the ground around his crossed legs, while his hands were draped over his knees giving the impression that he was able to relax even though he was sitting on the hard ground. His posture might have been unimposing, but his eyes proved him to be deadly.

Walking into camp, Kagome could barely pry her eyes away from one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. Her anger at the thought of him toying with her diminished the closer she came to his presence. Every hateful thought that she had planned to chastise him with became harder to grasp onto with words. His eyes were fixed on her form as well, as she glided in his direction, tracing every curve that her new outfit displayed.

When he had seen her in the clothes he had chosen for her, the day before, he knew that there was no way that he would be able to kill her. All thought of doing so escaped his mind the second her vanilla scent overwhelmed his senses and her angelic body swayed into camp. She was fragile, but the look on her face displayed determination and the bow over her shoulder gave her a deadly edge. Kagome no longer looked like a girl; her priestess attire turned her into a woman.

Sitting down beside Seshomaru, Kagome plucked his hand from his knee and covered it with her own. Trying not to look directly at him for fear that she would lose her courage, she began her questioning.

"Why didn't you tell me that I have friends? I would really like to find them so that I can find out more about myself. One of them is your half-brother right? Is that how we met?"

Before answering, Seshomaru lifted his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. There was a chance that he would lose her and he didn't want to forget the minor details such as the size of her hands or the softness of her fingers. It was almost as if he had never planned to kill her, but instead soak her into his very being.

"We haven't had much time to discuss them Kagome. You have been injured and ill-tempered. You would not have been the easiest person to see reason."

"You called me by my name! I like it so much better than Miko. But now that I'm feeling better, I would like you to tell me more about them so that I will be able to find them." Turning her face to Seshomaru, Kagome's eyes pleaded with him for information. It was unfair to be left in the dark, especially when there were people who could help her.

"Yes, you have friends. But I don't know if they survived the fight with Naraku. I hate to tell you this, but my half-brother is the one who tried to kill you." Seshomaru hated to twist the truth in a way that could potentially hurt her, but losing her would be far worse.

Catching her breath, Kagome squeezed Seshomaru's hand tighter and starred at the ground. "Are you sure that's what happened? And you saved me? We weren't together before this were we?" Kagome's head began to hurt and a knot formed in her throat making it more difficult to breath without showing weakness.

"I found you injured and dying. I saved you after you helped me find Rin, Kagome." Seshomaru's words were soft to try and disarm a heated discussion about to happen. They really weren't together before this, but Seshomaru wished they had been. But wishing won't make it true or keep Kagome from hurting. She had been through so much, not that she remembered any of it, but that didn't change the fact. Seshomaru had only added on to her world of lies and pain; if only she would let him try and take some of that pain away.

"You didn't answer my last question Seshomaru. Tell me, did you lie about us being together?" Kagome continued to stare at the ground, his face only brought tears to her eyes; which was quite sad considering he was gorgeous.

"It could be seen either way. I thought that you needed something to grasp onto since you lost your memory. There was no way of knowing if your friends were still alive and I didn't want you to know that one of them tried to kill you."

"How could you do that to me? You honestly thought it would be better for me if you lied?!" Kagome unlatched his hand from hers and covered her eyes. If she couldn't see him, then that meant he wasn't there right? Foolish thinking was all that was, but it brought a small piece of comfort.

There was nothing Seshomaru could say that would make her feel any better. His limp hand that was left in her lap worked its way up to her shoulder like it had a mind of its own. It was the only comforting thing that didn't involve lies. His hand was real right? At least it couldn't lie about being there and trying to comfort her.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulder, Seshomaru pulled her closer to him in an embrace. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I really want nothing more than to make you happy. I needed you in the beginning to help me kill Narku, but the more you are with me, the more I want you here just to be with me. I can no longer sense Narku, he is either dead or in hiding; so there is time for you to rehabilitate and time for us to spend together and make new memories. I am a demon lord, who has spent most of his life lonely and bloodthirsty. You and Rin have given me reasons to want companionship. Please stay with me."

In the small time Kagome had been conscious; she had never heard Seshomaru say so much at once. He wasn't what you would call the talkative type. What he said made sense, but it still hurt to be lied to from the only person you had to trust.

Half of Kagome's heart wanted to stay while the other wanted desperately to find the pieces of her missing past. Why had she forgotten everything? Was her past truly that terrible?

"I don't know what to do…." Melting into his embrace, Kagome let the tears run freely down her cheeks. Why did life have to be so hard? First, she loses her memory, then she finds out Seshomaru lied to her and that someone who was supposed to be her friend tried to kill her. It was a bit much to take all at once.

Seshomaru lifted Kagome's chin so that he had a direct view of her face. "Don't cry, it doesn't fit you." Wiping a tear from her cheek, his stomach knotted at the thought of her being so miserable. "Do you not want to stay with me?"

Sniffling, Kagome noticed the sad expression that crossed his face mere seconds before it recovered to his stoic norm. His face might have appeared to be indifferent, but his eyes gave away his true feelings.

Kagome wanted badly to find her past, but she also didn't want to ruin her future by leaving Seshomaru behind. She could have been in love with him in the past right? Maybe all of this happened so that they would have a chance to be together.

"I will stay with you. But on one condition, you have to help me find my friends so I can piece together my past." Leaning her head on his shoulder, she could feel the muscles flex beneath her. Seshomaru delicately hooked her hair behind her ears; it was a small habit that he had picked up in the short time that they had been together. It was definitely an injustice for this woman's face to be hidden behind hair. She was meant to be seen and make her mark, which she had managed to do on a demon lord and his half-brother; this was not a small feat for a frail human girl. But she really wasn't a girl anymore; she had turned into a beautiful woman.

"Done." Seshomaru would do anything to keep her with him for the time being. He knew that when she found her friends she would leave him, but he would try and hold that off for as long as possible. Maybe by the time they did find them, she would already have such a connection to him that she wouldn't leave. That was just wishful thinking though, and that would only lead to heart ache. Seshomaru was in a losing situation, but it would be impossible to drag himself out, he was already in too deep.

Satisfied with his answer, Kagome thought it would be easier to find her friends with Seshomaru's help anyway. Surely he can sense his half-brother, if he was still alive that is.

"Thank you for everything, Seshomaru." Kagome leaned in and gave Seshomaru a kiss on the cheek. Surprised by the softness of her lips, Seshomaru's eyes sparked and he had to concentrate to slow the beating of his heart. It was ridiculous that she had this effect on him.

Noticing the slight jerk after kissing Seshomaru, Kagome backed away far enough to catch the surprised expression on his face. It was good to know that she had power over him, even if it was a small amount.

"Never been kissed on the cheek before?"

"No." A small smirk crept over his features at the thought of what other places he would like her soft lips to caress.

"Why are you smiling?"

"It's just that no other person or demon has ever had the nerve to get this close to my face."

"Well, you didn't seem to mind much. I will not make the mistake again if it bothers you that much." Kagome knew that it didn't bother him; she just wanted to see how far she could push him.

Arising to her challenge, Seshomaru wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled her face to his. Brushing her lips with his own, he made a point to only tease her. She was toying with him and he wanted her to know that he would fight fire with fire.

The touch of her skin made Seshomaru's whole body feel like it was tingling. This sensation was unknown; it was almost frightening to know that he could have moments of weakness like this. With his acquaintances of the past he would have rough, hard sex that was focused on himself and not the other. They were merely his play things and there to do as he pleased. But with this Miko, he wanted nothing more than to give her pleasure beyond anything she had ever imagined. He wanted to show her how gentle a demon lord could be; delicately caressing her skin with his fingertips, giving her soft kisses from her navel to the nape of her neck, and finally running his fingers through her hair until she fell asleep after she had peaked.

Snapping out of his daydream and realizing what he was thinking, Seshomaru leaned back to create distance between their bodies. Catching his breath, he couldn't believe that he had let his mind get that far away from him.

Kagome was thrown off by his sudden movement and she nearly toppled over. Regaining her balance, she shot him a questioning glare.

"I need to get Rin to get you both something to eat. You will need to restore your strength if we are going to start traveling soon. Let me see your stomach."

_How the Hell did he just go from a kiss to 'you need to eat'!! _Kagome thought. Pulling her shirt out of her pants, she rolled it up just far enough to see where her injuries were. Glaring in his general direction, she hoped that Seshomaru could sense her frustration at his sudden subject change.

"I need to make an ointment for it, but I haven't run across the herbs I need. I think that it's starting to get infected and the last thing I need right now is to get a fever and get sick."

"Then we will leave today to get the herbs you need after you have eaten." Seshomaru glanced in Rin's direction, where she was climbing a tree. "Rin, will you come down and find you and Kagome something to eat?"

"Of course Seshomaru-sama!" Jumping down from the branch, Rin ran off into the forest. That girl could find food anywhere; she was used to having to fend for herself.

"It wont take her long to find food." Seshomaru was concentrating on not thinking about Kagome, which inevitably lead to thinking about her. It was a ruthless circle that was bound to rip out Seshomaru's heart. It was rare that he was ever even aware that he had a heart; it was a rather cruel thing to have, especially since it only caused pain.

* * *

A few weeks had passed and Kagome was healing well. Seshomaru no longer smelled infection from her wounds after she had found the right herbs to make the ointment. They weren't able to travel at a fast rate but they had made progress. The forest turned into country side and country side turned into little towns that dotted the horizon. Kagome asked people in some of the villages about her friends, but no one had any leads. Every time a person would begin to act like they might know one of them, Kagome's hopes would skyrocket only to crash back to the ground when it lead to a dead end.

Kagome grew closer to Seshomaru and Rin the more time they spent together. Seshomaru slowly started to talk in full sentences more often than not, and his expressionless face would occasionally show emotion. It was hard to act indifferent when surrounded by two women who had a mood for every occasion.

Kagome could be hot headed one moment and sad the next. It was hard to guess what she was feeling without directly asking her. She was so determined to find her friends that she would throw herself in the search and completely forget about her own health. Seshomaru had to remind her to eat so that she wouldn't get sick on more than one occasion.

"Seshomaru, I don't want to travel today. I think I would actually like to rest. I'm beginning to think that our search will lead us to nowhere. Have you been able to sense your brother?"

"Half-brother. And no, I haven't." Seshomaru still hated to think of Inuyasha as his full brother. "But if you would like to rest today, that is up to you."

"I figured as much. I just thought we would have found them by now. I think I need to spend some time alone to think; I will search the area for some food and I'll be back before too long."

It was a warm day and it wouldn't be too hard to find some nuts and berries. They had stopped for the day in a forested area, so there was bound to be something. Getting up and throwing her bow and arrows over her shoulder, she trotted off. Her heart was heavy and she needed a little bit of time just to think about what she wanted to do. Surely she would have found her friends by now if they still even existed. What would she say when she did find them anyway? Would she be scared of Seshomaru's half-brother, especially since he tried to kill her? Maybe it wasn't a good idea to find them after all…….

After filling her pockets full of berries, Kagome decided to rest on boulder and take in her surroundings. The oaks looked like they were hundreds of years old, each one had probably seen ages come and go. The branches swayed with the wind and the leaves would float to the ground almost like snow flakes. Squirrels would pop out of hiding places just to run back in them the moment they noticed Kagome watching them. The forest was so alive around her; it was just that she felt so dead. She was just an insignificant blip on the radar.

_I wish I wasn't so down. If I could only remember something about myself maybe I would feel less worthless. I'm a burden to Seshomaru and every time I feel like we are getting close, he pushes me away. Maybe it's time for me to stop looking for ghosts and just find something to do with myself. I may not remember my past, but I do remember remedies and things related to being a priestess, I could be a Miko for a village. Seshomaru wont want to stay with me forever anyway._

Hearing a rustling sound through the trees, Kagome became alert and ready in case she had to make a quick get away. Who knows what else could be wondering around in the forest, and it was getting late. Sliding down from her rock, she picked up her bow and notched it with an arrow pointed in the direction of the sound.

"I assure you, an arrow would not take me down. But you are welcome to try." Walking in her direction, Seshomaru came into view.

"Sorry, you scared the shit out of me." Normally Kagome would have had attitude, but the fight in her voice had faded.

"Have you found the food that you require? It is getting close to dark and I just came to see what you were up to."

"So you're saying that you were getting worried? You don't need to, I have just been thinking about stuff." Sighing, Kagome threw her bow back over her shoulders and walked up to Seshomaru. "I'm ready to go back to camp now."

"Have you come to any conclusions during your thinking?"

"Well, I think I'm almost done searching. I will leave you and Rin soon; I'm tired of being a burden. And ill probably just find some village that needs a priestess. The more we look for my friends, the more my heart breaks at not finding them. So might as well stop while I'm ahead." Kagome started to walk in the direction of camp, but Seshomaru didn't move an inch. Grabbing her wrist, Seshomaru twirled her around to face him.

"You are no burden." Pulling her to his chest, he pushed her head against his shoulder. "We can stop searching if that is what you want, but don't leave us."

* * *

Inuyasha had lost Kagome's scent for a few days, but the second he caught it again, he headed for her tirelessly. He had left the others behind because they weren't traveling at his pace, and he knew they would eventually catch up with him anyway. When he knew she was close, his heart skipped a beat; he had been following her for weeks. For some reason there was a strong demonic aura that was over whelming Inuyasha's senses the closer he got to Kagome. Abruptly, Inuyasha skidded to a stop right behind his brother.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing!?" All Inuyasha saw was what looked like Kagome wrapped against Seshomaru. He had finally found her and his relief vaporized the second he saw her in that asshole's embrace. What the fuck was going on here? "I will fucking kill you Seshomaru if you don't back away from Kagome! Now!"

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kagome would never fall for that self-righteous asshole. There has to be something wrong here, did she finally decide to leave me? She couldn't….she wouldn't……would she?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jealousy, rage, and madness swirled through Inuyasha's veins fighting each other for dominancy. This was the absolute last thing that he would ever expect to drop in on. It felt like his whole world had been pieced together to tease him and then explode in his face. Was this really happening? It was certainly Seshomaru who was standing in front of him, but Kagome looked different. She looked like Kikyo, only with a different colored priestess outfit. Her eyes no longer smiled, but instead stared ahead without reflecting life. What the fuck was going on here!?

"Kagome….." Inuyasha didn't know what else to say. He was furious, but sad at the same time. She didn't come back to him because of Seshomaru? Did that bastard even have feelings?

"You know me?" Kagome's eyes brightened at the idea, but her body was still pressed against Seshomaru unwilling to leave his protection. Just because someone knew her, it didn't mean that they wouldn't hurt her.

"What do you mean, do I know you!?" Inuyasha was at a loss for words. Each muscle in his body simultaneously tensed at the thought of her acting like she didn't know who he was because he caught her with his brother. If there was a Hell on Earth, this was it.

"Exactly what she said half-wit. She has lost her memory." Seshomaru tightened his grip on Kagome not wanting her to move away from him. Seshomaru was so involved with Kagome at the time, that he didn't even sense Inuyasha coming towards them. Just one more example of how women caused weakness. But there was no way of turning back, he wanted her and now he was going to have to fight for her.

"You don't remember me? You mean…everything….we have been through….means nothing?!" Disheartened, Inuyasha wished he would have just died. The vision of Kagome in his dreams was just a giant tease. She has lost her memory of him, and with that her love?

_Great, Seshomaru got to be her knight in shining fucking armor, when it should have been me. _Inuyasha had heard Kagome tell stories about knights to Shippo and Inuyasha always considered himself a knight to Kagome. But it appears he has been replaced by an asshole.

"But she does know that you tried to kill her."

_Yep, _Inuyasha thought, _ASSHOLE._

"You're Seshomaru's half-brother? My friend?" Wriggling out of Seshomaru's death grip, Kagome walked towards Inuyasha. "Why did you try to kill me?"

"Seshomaru, you bastard," Inuyasha's jaw clenched and his heart began racing. "Kagome, do you know the reason why Seshomaru is missing part of his arm?"

Turning a questioning look to Seshomaru, Kagome didn't understand how that was relevant to the current conversation. This was a chance for her to find the missing pieces, and these two demons were hashing it out. Seshomaru's half-brother said that they had been through a lot together. Like what? Was he an important person in the past? He did get rather angry when he saw her wrapped up against Seshomaru.

"No, I don't. But I don't see how that matters. Can you tell me about myself?" Turning back to face Inuyasha, Kagome stepped closer thinking that maybe he would be more willing to give out information the further she was from Seshomaru.

"I cut his arm off when he tried to kill you awhile back. He seems to have left out some important things that you should have known." Inuyasha was thankful that Kagome was no longer in Seshomaru's embrace, but he was still furious at the current situation. "I can tell you anything you would like to know about yourself though." Taking his eyes off Seshomaru, Inuyasha settled his gaze on Kagome. She truly was breath taking.

"So basically I'm standing between two demons who have tried to kill me. Hmmm, I feel so much better! Could you two just stop whatever it is you're doing and tell me what the Hell is going on here!?" Stomping the ground, Kagome was sick of hearing about people trying to kill her. Right now all she wanted was to know who she was and where she belonged, nothing else really mattered.

Reaching out for Kagome, Inuyasha wanted to pull her closer. It had been a long and tiring journey trying to find her and now that he was here he just wanted to touch her and make sure she was really there.

The instant Seshomaru realized that Inuyasha wanted to touch Kagome, a loud growl erupted from his throat. Slipping his fingers in the waistband of her pants he pulled her back against his chest.

"Inuyasha! Stay away from her or I will finally put you out of your misery." Barring his teeth, Seshomaru held Kagome protectively, daring Inuyasha to make a move towards her. His short time with her had caused him to become a little possessive it seemed.

Unsheathing Tetsaiga, Inuyasha felt rage coursing through his entire being. How the fuck did Seshomaru have the nerve to yank his woman around? She may not know who she belongs to but Inuyasha was determined for her to see the light.

"I'm giving you one last chance to back away Seshomaru." Inuyasha stepped forward with Tetsaiga ready to slice off Seshomaru's other arm that held Kagome against him.

"Ok!! So you two need to quit fighting and tell me what the Hell is going on here!" Trying to loosen Seshomaru's grip around her waist, Kagome struggled to get free. Seshomaru was just too strong; his one arm overpowered her entire body.

Setting Kagome to the side, Seshomaru lunged towards Inuyasha sweeping his claws across the front of his body. Inuyasha let out a cry of pain before he swept Tetsaiga around and came back down towards Seshomaru. Inuyasha was bleeding from a gash down his front side, but that didn't slow down his ability to wield Tetsaiga. There was no way he would let Seshomaru have Kagome; Inuyasha would die before he ever saw that happen.

Dodging the blow, Seshomaru skidded to the right trying to avoid any of the debris that was created from the sword making contact with the solid ground. The second he caught his baring, Seshomaru pushed off the ground and darted at Inuyasha from the side.

"Oh No you don't! Wind Scar!!!!!!!" Slamming Tetsaiga through the rift caused by Seshomaru's demonic aura, Inuyasha refused to let Seshomaru over come him that easily.

Seshomaru moved far enough out of the way to avoid a direct hit, but it skimmed his side. The blow had ripped part of Seshomaru's kimono off along with skin and not to mention all of the landscape behind him.

"STOP NOW!!" Kagome desperately wanted them to stop fighting before they ripped each other apart. She had heard of family feuds before but this was a little extreme.

Ignoring her plea, the brothers continued to rip each other to shreds. They each fought with intense passion; dodging blows, slicing limbs, and fighting on without slowing. The forest no longer looked like a forest, but a battle ground. The demons were hurting more than one another; nature was dieing around them.

Getting tired of their endless battle, Kagome stomped to their fighting ground and tried to use her body to force them to quit fighting; which wasn't a good idea the instant she got slammed back by a flying tree branch. Landing sprawled out across the ground; she grabbed her stomach where she still occasionally ached from her partially healed wounds. _Ugh, _Kagome thought,_ I hope I didn't rip them open again. Stupid! I should have known better than to do that! _

Gasping for breath, she squeezed her eyes shut hoping the sharp pains shooting through her side would ease long enough for her to regain her breath.

"Damn it! Kagome!" Turning his attention away from Seshomaru, Inuyasha changed direction and headed for Kagome. Before he had taken two steps Seshomaru plowed into his side knocking him to the ground a few feet away. Seshomaru wanted to get to Kagome first, and there was no way he would let that mutt get there before him.

Pushing to her knees, Kagome tried to force herself into an upright position. Before she had a chance to gain her balance Seshomaru delicately swooped her up into his arms and jumped a short distance away from Inuyasha.

"Stay away from her Inuyasha! She is mine." By the time Inuyasha regained his composure from the direct blow from Seshomaru, they were gone.

* * *

Holding on to her middle, Kagome could do little but go with Seshomaru. It was weird that Inuyasha was one of the people they had been looking for and the second they find him, Seshomaru becomes jealous.

_Inuyasha…..hmmmm…..Inuyasha, _rolling his name around in her head, Kagome felt like it was very familiar, _why does that name make my heart hurt. The closer I came to him, the faster my heart would race and my breathing would almost falter. I have to know him somehow. I have to find him again. If only Seshomaru would have let me have time with him. What am I thinking!? He doesn't own me, I will find Inuyasha with or without Seshomaru's help and obviously he isn't going to help me. I wish these gashes would just heal already! If I wouldn't have been hurt, Seshomaru wouldn't have taken me away so fast!_

"Why didn't you let me stay and talk to him!! I could have found something out!" Kagome turned a heated look at Seshomaru trying to show him how irritated she was with him. It wasn't fair that he acted like this. They weren't together were they? Yea, so they had had a few semi-intimate moments, but they never led to anything except a promise to stay. But there is just no way she can stay with them when her past is so close to coming back to her. Seshomaru should understand; not act like a giant asshole.

Seshomaru ignored her yelling and headed on towards camp in silence to retrieve Rin. It was unlike him to react to situations with jealousy; the bloodshed was normal, but the reason was ridiculous. How did this woman make him feel like ripping Inuyasha to pieces just to keep him away from her?

_I told her I would help her find her friends, _Seshomaru thought, _but now that the day has come, I just don't want to share her with anybody else. I don't want her to regain her memory because then she would love Inuyasha again. Hmmm…….. She will leave me anyway; I'm sure, just not yet. _

"I'm tired of you ignoring me Seshomaru. What is your deal lately!? You tell me you will help me find my friends, and then when one finds us you freak out! What is wrong!? What are you afraid of?"Kagome's irritation level was rising by the minute. The longer Seshomaru ignored her, the more she wanted to beat his chest in.

A few more minutes passed and finally Seshomaru decided to speak before his Miko had a heart attack in his arms. Pressing her firmly against his chest he paused before entering camp and let his eyes fall on Kagome's face. "You foolishly ran into the middle of a battle between a demon and a half-demon, and then injured yourself. I could not risk your life by letting you stay there with bleeding wounds. Are you angry with me for that?"

"Yes! And no……but I at least wanted the chance to talk! You two were too busy fighting with each other. What is the deal with that any way!? He is your family Seshomaru. He knows me, **really** knows me. Being near him felt familiar. What if he doesn't come looking for me again? Are you going to help me find him again; because you weren't too keen about him being near me?"

Seshomaru's eyes widened in surprise at the thought of her feeling more familiar around Inuyasha rather than himself. Of course he didn't want her near him, he would take her away.

"He will not stop looking for you, and when he finds us again hopefully he has learned to keep his distance."

"Why do you want him to keep his distance? Are you being over-protective?"

"Don't be dense Miko. It has taken us quite some time to get your wounds almost healed and then the second that mutt shows up you re-injure yourself!"

"I HATE it when you call me Miko! My name is Ka…go….me! And you know it; you just said that to be rude!"

"Well you are a Miko. So you want to be with him then?" Sighing, Seshomaru pried his eyes away from her face and let them settle on the landscape.

"That's not what I'm saying Seshomaru! But I do want the chance to talk with him!" Crossing her arms, Kagome felt helpless in his arms. She knew that Seshomaru had to care for her; but there was something he wasn't telling her about Inuyasha. "When he finds me, do not fight with him Seshomaru! I need to find out about myself before I can move on with you."

Immediately Seshomaru found her eyes again. Did she really just say that? Delicately hooking her hair behind her ears, he made her eyes clearly visible. Was she telling him the truth or just trying to appease him for the moment? Her eyes didn't appear to be lying, but they did look tired.

"You look exhausted. I will wrap you up in blankets and then we will move forward. Will you be able to rest if I carry you?"

"Yes, but why can't we just stay in the same camp tonight?"

"I want you rested and in better shape before he finds you again."

Walking into camp, Seshomaru set Kagome down on a pile of blankets. Rin was sitting on a log playing with sticks around a small fire. She really was able to keep herself busy with things that really just weren't interesting.

"Rin, pack up, we will be leaving tonight." Seshomaru looked down the path that they had just come and knew that Inuyasha would be upon them very soon. But with Kagome's memory gone, it appears that it won't matter if Inuyasha finds them because she has already said that she would be going with Seshomaru in the end. Even if someone tells her about her past, they can't make feel the way she had previously. There are already new emotions taking the place of the old ones. And it would seem that Seshomaru was the center of them.

* * *

_What the fuck just happened? She was right in front of me…I almost had her in my arms. But that bastard Seshomaru has screwed with her head! Her eyes were so dead, is that what it looks like to lose yourself? And she has lost her memory, there has to be a cause and a way to bring them back. Without her memories she might actually stay with Seshomaru! I would kill him before that happened! ASSHOLE! _

Prying his face from the dirt, his side ached from being plowed by Seshomaru. Pushing himself up, Inuyasha shook off the dirt and stretched his limbs. Finding Tetsaiga not too far from where he landed he put it in its sheath and hung it around his waist. His wounds began to heal immediately along with his resolve to find her again.

Hitting all fours he sniffed the area for the direction they disappeared in. Catching her scent he flew full force in hopes to catch them before they made it too far. Knocking down trees and skimming bushes, nothing kept him from his pace. He couldn't jump through the trees otherwise he would lose her scent; he had to stay on the ground, which made travel a little more difficult.

Crashing through the outlying brush of Seshomaru's camp, Inuyasha slid into the middle of them packing there things.

"Did you think you would get rid of me that easily Seshomaru!?" Inuyasha reached for Tetsaiga while trying to determine each person's location. He didn't want anybody to get hurt except his asshole half-brother.

"I assumed that you had learned your place Inuyasha. I didn't feel the need to move any faster. You should know that destroying you would merely be my play time. However, I have told Kagome that she can talk with you without my interference; so you better take the opportunity immediately before I change my mind."

"Well isn't that nice of you Seshomaru." Inuyasha stated sarcastically. Pushing Tetsaiga back into his sheath, Inuyasha visibly cooled down. It would be easier to see Kagome without having to fight against Seshomaru.

Walking in Kagome's direction, Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was wounded again and her shirt had specks of blood dotting the front. Inuyasha's stomach clenched and his heart hurt to see where she was bleeding from. Those had to be wounds made by him when he had completely transformed into a demon.

"Seshomaru? Will you please give Inuyasha and me some privacy?" Kagome just needed a little time alone with him to be able to get everything that she wanted to know off her chest. Seshomaru had a way of making you feel uncomfortable and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"I will give you one hour. Inuyasha keep your distance or I will take back what I said about my interference. Rin come along." Turning into the forest, Seshomaru slowly glided out of sight.

Sitting across from Kagome, Inuyasha didn't know what to say. She was so close but still so far away.

"Kagome…..I…I…have been looking for you. I was afraid you were dead; actually I thought you were dead. Finding you has been a miracle. I don't know how you lost your memory, but I will do anything to help you remember or fill in the missing pieces. And why are you with that heartless bastard?" Inuyasha wanted Kagome to leave with him, it was ridiculous that he was having to worry about Seshomaru getting in the way.

"He saved me, now he has become a bit protective is all."

"You don't belong with him Kagome. You belong with me." Inuyasha reached out to touch her hand, but she jerked it back before he had a chance to caress her fingers. "Are you afraid of me?"  
"I still don't remember you and like Seshomaru said, I was injured by your hand." Kagome's heart had nearly stopped at the thought of him touching her. She had this strong urge to crawl into his arms and ask him to make everything okay, but that just wouldn't be appropriate.

"I'm sorry I hurt you Kagome, it wasn't the real me that did that. Naraku exposed me to a tainted jewel and I turned into a full demon. I didn't know what I was doing at the time. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know what to believe. I have actually been looking for you and a few others from what I was told. A demon slayer and a monk?"

"That's right, we are usually all together, but when I caught your scent I ran ahead and left them behind to catch up later. We are your friends Kagome, you should be with us."

"I would like to meet them again, but I am with Seshomaru and Rin now. I just need your help to find out a little about myself."

Catching his breath, Inuyasha looked at the ground. She wants to be with him?

"You can't stay with him Kagome!" Standing up Inuyasha threw his arms out in desperation. "I love you Kagome." Dropping back down to his knees, his arms fell limply to his side. "I just don't think I can live without you. I never had the chance to tell you before, but you need to know that I have always loved you and I am sorry for every painful thing I ever caused in your life."

A lump formed in Kagome's throat at the sight of him looking so helpless. There was something about him that led her to believe that this was not something that he would ever do in front of someone.

Crawling to his limp form a few paces away, she grabbed his hand to try and reassure him. The second her fingertips touched his skin a void formed in the world. It was like time had stopped around her and the only thing that existed in that moment was her. Memories exploded from their hiding places and saturated her mind. The impact was so dramatic that her body crashed to the ground with her hands held to head in hopes of calming the storm. Everything came back to her: her love for Inuyasha, how Sehsomaru saved her…….everything.

Opening her eyes, she starred straight into amber orbs that created salty tracks that ran down a worried face. Focusing on his face she realized it was Inuyasha and he was crying. She was cradled in his arms and right now it seemed like that was the safest place she could ever be.

"I remember." Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled his forehead to her own. "I forgive you."

**I'm sorry it took me longer than usual to update! I work in a gym and January is by far our busiest month! New Years resolutions rock! I make bank! Anyway, please tell me what you think. There are still chapters to come, I just haven't decided how many yet! ; )**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Relief flooded through Inuyasha's body. This could mean anything. Would she get the foolish idea of staying with Seshomaru out of her mind? Somehow by Inuyasha's touch, her memory had come back. "You remember everything?" Inuyasha whispered.

Pulling back enough to see his face, Kagome couldn't believe how much she had forgotten and what a terrible mistake she had almost made. "Down to the detail, Inuyasha."

Kagome melted into his arms; she couldn't believe that she had ever considered seriously staying with Seshomaru after remembering everything that had come back to her. How would she tell him that it was a mistake to stay with him? They had spent so much time together and he had done so much, but he could never take Inuyasha's place in her heart. She felt terrible remembering how cold he once was and how warm he had become in the short time she had stumbled into his life. It was like she would be saying, 'Hey this is what it feels like to be happy,' and then turn around and leave. The light that had touched his heart would slowly go out and who knew if it would ever be lit again when she had barely achieved to do so. Rin would have to make up for the loss of Kagome, which was unfair, but there was nothing else she could do. Kagome would be lying to herself if she stayed with him. She would forever wonder what her life would have or could have been like with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was the man that she had fawned over for so long. How many times had she put her life on the line for him? It would almost be impossible to count. He probably really didn't need her to find the jewel shards, she could sense them, but there were other ways to find them. Kagome just couldn't leave the past alone; there was no way that she could sit around in the present time and let him put himself in danger finding the Shikon jewel that she had broken. Kagome never really thought that she had given her whole heart to him without knowing, but now it was as clear as day, living without him would be no life at all.

Scared to let go of her, Inuyasha tightened his grip and refused to take his eyes away from her fragile form. It was almost as if he was afraid she would disappear if he blinked. It was a long and heart wrenching journey to get to this point. It took so much effort to piece his heart back together after he thought he had murdered her with his own hands. Now that she was alive, if she willingly left him, his heart would surely bleed until there was nothing to look forward to except death.

"Do you still wish to leave me?" Inuyasha's heart was balancing at the end of a cliff, ready to topple over with a single word. The tornado in his stomach was on the verge of throwing everything he had eaten in the past week back into his throat. This was the question that his very life dangled on and it was up to Kagome to save him from himself.

"How could I, Inuyasha?" Kagome's throat knotted and her eyes began to sting. It seemed that all she did lately was cry. She was happy that she remembered and now her past concern was finally confirmed. He did love her. Everything she did for him was not in vain; he saw her. **Really **saw her.

Tensing from the sudden smell of salty water, Inuyasha could barely old himself together. Out of everything that he had ever faced; blood thirsty demons, Naraku, being sealed to a tree for fifty years, this by far would be the most important moment of his life. This would decide if he would live happy or die tragically.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha could barely raise his voice above a whisper.

"I remember. Inuyasha, could you not tell that I loved you? Everything I did, I did for you." Noticing a tiny sparkle of gold shining from his neckline, she delicately plucked a chain out from underneath his haori. Dangling from the chain was the gold heart-shaped locket that contained their pictures from what seemed like so long ago. "You kept this?"

An over-whelming warmth crept through Kagome's body. He really did love her. He refused to wear this when she had given it to him. But yet, he was only trying to hide his true feelings.

"You love me?" Ignoring the question about his locket, Inuyasha was trying to keep his heart from exploding from his chest. His heart no longer hurt but instead soared. He would never let her out of his sight again.

"I love you." Catching her breath, Kagome tried to keep her voice from shaking. She had been scared for so long to tell him how she really felt because she knew that he loved Kikyo. It would be like placing a vulnerable heart in front of a truck and waiting for the person to slightly swerve and crush it without notice.

They may have only been inches away from one another, but to Inuyasha it was miles. He wove his fingers through her hair and gently pulled her face to his own. Delicately he placed his lips over hers and kissed her as though he would never again get to feel the softness of her skin. Time could have stopped and in that moment both individuals would have been in bliss for eternity.

Kagome's arms tightened around Inuyasha's neck unwilling to be torn away from this embrace. His lips sent shocks throughout her entire body. This is what she had been waiting for the entire time she had been traveling with Inuyasha and now that it had come it was more than she could have ever imagined.

"What will we do now?" Kagome whispered through multiple kisses.

"Now that I have you back, we can do anything. I couldn't have handled it if you would have left me. The thought of you forgetting me ripped my heart from my chest. You have changed my life Kagome. You have given me a reason to live." Inuyasha searched Kagome's eyes for a reaction from his statements. He meant every word he said; this woman was one of the most amazing people he had ever met. She continued to stand by his side through everything. He tried to kill her when he was a full demon and yet, here she was, melted into his arms.

Trying to keep from tearing up, Kagome held her breath in fear that if she let it out tears would follow. Did people really have moments like this? This was definitely a moment to live for; if only there would have been a video camera set up to record everything that had just happened. Kagome had always known that he had cared for her, but she always thought it was as a friend. To know that he felt the same way as her was almost too good to be true.

"Well I guess I have to start with telling Seshomaru that I remember everything. I hope he doesn't expect me to stay now that I remember you. Did you know that I felt so lost without my memories? I would have forgotten my family; they would have never known what happened to me. And I would have never known."

"Kagome, I will never let anything happen to you again. We don't have to fight anymore, Naraku is dead. If Seshomaru doesn't want to give you up, I will just have to make him." Jealousy flared through Inuyasha's senses when he thought about his asshole brother almost having Kagome and her almost letting him. Regardless of his jealousy, he also felt relief from finding her in one piece. It was a miracle that his touch even brought her memories back.

"How long before Seshomaru gets back I wonder?" Kagome was no longer sitting in Inuyasha's lap, but she was still close enough where her knees were touching him. She was dreading having to tell Sesomaru that she couldn't stay and the longer they waited for him to get back, the more her stomach twisted into knots.

"Well, Kagome, I never really left." Seshomaru walked into the clearing where Inuyasha and Kagome could see him. He had merely concealed his demonic aura so that they would not have been able to sense him. There was no way he was going to leave Kagome completely alone with that mutt. But apparently he shouldn't have left them alone at all.

Seshomaru had been so close to having her; his heart nearly exploded when he heard her tell Inuyasha that her place was with him and Rin. He had done so much for her, and as much as he would like to deny it, he had changed a little himself. It was becoming harder to conceal his feelings behind a mask like he was so used to doing in the past. He had come to understand why Inuyasha had come to protect this Miko so fiercely. She had this way of dragging your emotions to the surface and then she would feed off of them making it difficult to cover them up.

It took immense control for Seshomaru not to reveal himself when Inuyasha and Kagome embraced. His gut instinct was to rip Inuyasha apart and ask her to forget him once again. Seshomaru should have known that his touch would bring her memories from hibernation; he kicked himself for not thinking the situation over more carefully. The day that she had been knocked unconscious, she had done so by the touch of the barrier. The Shikon powers must have left an imprint on her mind when she purified the seal over Rin. While purifying the barrier, the Shikon no tama must have tried to purify the painful thoughts in her mind at the same time. Instead of taking the most immediate issues, it took everything and merely pressed it to the back of her mind. Because Inuyasha was the main issue on her heart, it would have taken him to bring her back to reality. And that's exactly what happened; why else would she allow herself to be held by Inuyasha?

How could he have been there the whole time? Kagome was shocked that she didn't sense his presence. His demonic aura was massive; it would be near to impossible to hide it without a little leaking out. But Kagome was rather busy at the moment so she probably wouldn't have noticed if he did leak a small amount of demonic aura.

"So, you're not angry? You know that I remember everything Seshomaru." Kagome's knees were still touching Inuyasha and she moved slightly to keep a small amount of distance. She really didn't want the two brothers to fight like they did before. She was still injured, and who knows what could happen if they decided to demolish the forest again.

"You choose him over me Kagome?" Seshomaru walked towards her with a sad glint in his eyes. His face continued to hold the likeness of stone, but his eyes gave away his true emotion.

"Duh you blockhead!" Inuyasha rose to his feet and placed himself in between Seshomaru and Kagome.

"Was I talking to you?" Effortlessly Seshomaru swept Inuyasha to the side. "I am talking to Kagome. Stay out of it mutt."

Clenching his fists, Inuyasha would pummel Seshomaru before he ever thought he could treat him with such disrespect. It was Inuyasha that cut his arm off and Seshomaru should be wary of that fact.

"Inuyasha, please just stay out of it long enough for me to talk with Seshomaru." Kagome pushed herself to her knees so that she didn't feel like she looked like a pitiful lump on the ground. She didn't want to look or feel helpless right now. She needed Seshomaru to see that everything that had happened between them had merely been a mistake do to loss of memory. It almost seemed wrong to call it mistake though because she had grown close to Seshomaru; he did more for her than she would have ever expected. Kagome didn't want to kick him out of her life by no means, but with Inuyasha, there might not be enough room for them both. And it would get rather tiring having to deal with two demon brothers constantly fighting for her attention.

Seshomaru smirked at Inuyasha at the thought of him obeying a human woman. But come to think of it, he would probably do what she said if it came to her leaving with him. Frowning to himself, Seshomaru could not get over the effect two human women had over him. Since when did he even contemplate doing what anybody said?

"So you choose him?" Seshomaru had made his way to Kagome and he stood right before her. Kagome seemed small beside someone so strong and tall; she hadn't managed to make it to her feet because her wounds were constantly sending sharp pains through her mid section.

Reaching her hand out to clasp Seshomaru's, Kagome used his strength to pull her to her feet. Leaning against him for support she braced herself for one of the hardest conversations in her life.

"Seshomaru, thank you for everything you have done for me. You saved my life and for that I am forever grateful. There for a small amount of time, I wished that I would have just died because I had no memories and nothing that I knew was worth living for. But you brought me to the light. Now that I know my past, I find it hard to believe that you would have ever helped me. Thank you." Adjusting her position to be able to look at his face, she hoped more than anything that he would understand.

"You didn't answer my question." Seshomaru knew that she wouldn't stay with him, but he needed to hear it from her mouth. He really had become soft. If this would have happened in the past, he would merely have ripped Inuyasha to pieces and made the Miko stay with him against her will. But somehow her staying here because her heart told her to would mean much more than keeping her by force.

"You know I can't stay. I remember Inuyasha and I remember my love for Inuyasha and my friends. Everything I have done, I have done with them. Seshomaru, I love you. But as a friend." Kagome's heart seemed to never stop breaking for one reason or another. Telling him that she didn't love him the way she loved Inuyasha was beyond painful. How do you tell someone who thinks that he was done an injustice by merely having a hanyou as a brother who got the Testaiga that he would also get the girl?

It was a rather cruel world at times.

Without another word, Seshomaru glanced one last time over the face that had managed to break his heart. His face continued to display stone, but his eyes locked with Kagome's one last time showing the pain of her words. He delicately plucked his hand from hers and turned to leave. Rin would be waiting in the next clearing for him and it seemed his welcome had run out. He also didn't want either one of them to see the single tear that rolled down his cheek in his moment of weakness. People should not be allowed to see him as anything but indifferent. Seshomaru disappeared into the forest and the only thing left behind was his impression on Kagome's heart.

Even though she didn't love him the way she loved Inuyasha didn't mean that she didn't care for him. It was hard for Kagome to see such a strong person hurt.

Kagome fell back to her knees clutching her side. "It seems I will never stop hurting. It's either my heart or my wounds. Sometimes fairy tales can be sad it seems."

Inuyasha had already made his way back to her; he had never seen Seshomaru act like that before. He must have recently decided to gain a few emotions, much to his dismay.

"Everything will be okay now. I will never let anything happen to you again Kagome. So you will stay with me? I want you to be mine and nobody else's." Inuyasha was a little ashamed to admit that he was in fact a very jealous person. Just seeing Kagome leaning against Seshomaru for support sent a stab of anger through him. Who knows what he would have done if she would have actually chosen him. It would have been very bloody.

"I have always wanted to stay with you, Inuyasha. We only have to figure out the details. I don't really feel like the present day is my home. I know that's where my family is, but I feel more comfortable in this time. Maybe we can find a way to stay here and just go home to visit."

"Let's leave those decisions for later. I have waited a long time to see you again. I want to spend some time with you before Sango and Miroku catch up."

Sweeping Kagome into his lap, Inuyasha wrapped his fingers back into her hair. Pulling her into his embrace, he once again covered her lips with his own. He wanted to soak her into his very being. Nothing in this world mattered except making Kagome feel pleasure. She had experienced far too much pain and this was Inuyasha's chance to make up for a little of it.

Massaging her tongue with his own, he could barely contain the warmth that slid over his body. His breathing became a little faster and the only thing he wanted to do was feel Kagome's skin against his own. Her vanilla scent became contagious and he could think of nothing he would ever want to do again except breathe her in.

He had to be careful when caressing her body to keep from hurting her wounds. Slowly sliding her pullover over her head he made sure to keep from touching anything that would hurt her. Gently laying her on the ground he leaned over her half naked body and planted soft kisses from her belly button to the nape of her neck.

"I love you Kagome. I love your personality. I love your body. And I love the soft feel of your skin." Inuyasha whispered over her lips in between kisses.

Kagome's heart was racing a million miles a minute. She had to concentrate to even breathe. This was a chance to let herself go and enjoy every part of the man she had loved for quite some time now. Reaching to his haori, Kagome slid it off his shoulders exposing his muscular arms and his smooth chest.

"I love you Inuyasha."

Untying the side of her pants, Inuyasha pulled them off giving him full access to her entire body. Kagome couldn't keep the warm sensation from creeping back in between her legs. She wanted Inuyasha to do many things to her and all of them included a pleasurable ending. Smiling to herself, Kagome ran her hands down Inuyasha's back feeling him shudder under her touch.

This was going to be a very good day. Relaxing into his arms, she let her body move freely with his own and for a few hours, she actually forgot what it felt like to feel pain.

**I'm sorry it took me so long to update! Please tell me what you think! Do yall want more chapters or do you think this was a good ending? I can think of a few more things that could be added to the story, but I would like yall's opinion! So please review and tell me what you think!**


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